Excuse me while I kiss this guy*

Here we are at the last day of 2006. Wow has this year gone by fast!
Lots of thoughts usually swirl around for me at this time of year. Remembering things that have happened over the last year. Looking forward to what the new year may have in store.

I don't typically make new years resolutions. But, I have been thinking the last few days about what I would like to see different next year versus this year. My thoughts don't seem to be very original:

start regular exercise
drink less
correspond with friends more often
give back to my community and others
find work that I enjoy and that pays the bills
find first piece of investment real estate and actually buy it

How about you? Do you have thoughts about what you would like to do differently this next year? What about things that happened in 2006 that were great and you would like to see repeated?

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New Years Eve has always been an odd one for me. There is all this hubba ballo about doing something special. It isn't so much what to do on New Years Eve that frustrates me. It isn't thinking about resolutions and knowing that I won't really pay much attention to them. It isn't even seeing Dick Clark on tv every year and wondering how in the world that man NEVER ages. Really, my biggest frustration about NYE is very simple...

Does ANYONE actually know the words to that song? Huh? Anyone? I bet most of you would be hard pressed to tell me the title and then even harder pressed to be able to spell it. Don't feel like you are alone in the world. Took a few google searches before I found the right way to spell it too!

So, as part of my resolution to give back to others, and because it has to make you at least a little bit crazy too...I have done the research and now present to you the background AND lyrics. Feel free to print this off and bring to your NYE celebrations tonight. Pretty damn impressive to actually be able to sing along with Dick Clark and crew and not just be mumbling and tra la laaing.

Auld Lang Syne
Scottish
adv.
Long ago; long since.
n.
Time long past; times past.


"Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind;
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And days of old lang syne.

We two have run about the hills,
And pulled the daisies fine.
We've wandered many a weary foot,
Since old lang syne.

We two have paddled in the burn,
From morning sun till dine,
But seas between us broad have roared,
Since old lang syne.

And here's a hand my trusty friend,
And put your hand in mine.
We'll take a right good willie-waught,
For old lang syne.

And surely you'll lift up your glass,
For surely I'll lift mine,
And we'll drink a cup of kindness yet,
For old lang syne.

For old lang syne, my dear,
For old lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For old lang syne."

Happy New Year to you all. May this year bring peace, joy, health and strength.

*I am sure many of you have had all sorts of interesting ideas of what the words to Auld Lang Syne may have been. My friend Nicci once believed that this was what Jimi Hendrix was singing in Purple Haze. This is only slightly better than a cell phone commercial I saw recently where the guy was singing "Rock the Casbah" by the Clash except he was saying something like "Rock the Cat Box".

Christmas Celebration Part III

We have returned from Arkansas after a fabulous week spent with family.
We cooked and danced and sang and played lots and lots of cards.
I was a bit disappointed in myself once I got home and took a look at the photos I took while we were there. Apparently, I was having so much fun making merriment that I forgot to take very many photos. I do have a few good ones to share with you.

Jason really got into the Chrismas spirit this year. Here he is with his wife, Charlene.


Okay, I put all the beads around that wreath and stuck it on his head, but he is a good sport for just about anything.

Here is Katelyn, our niece, with a doll sent to her by Tim's father.


Tim, ever so festive, dancing with Santa


One of the things I have been wanting to do for a while is try skeet shooting. This year, I got my chance. The day we went to a friends farm was simply beautiful.




Here are the guys...


Considering that this was my first time shooting a gun, I chickened out a little and asked if I could try on some targets that weren't actually moving. They set me up with a great little target range.


Those cans had no chance!


I am very proud to say that I hit 3 cans with 2 shots and 5 cans with 3 shots. Can you say Annie Oakley? Okay, maybe not so much, but it was really a lot of fun.
After our shooting adventure, I was off for a 30 minute massage provided by our brother Jason as a Christmas gift to me. Can it get any better than that?!!?

In the blink of an eye, the week was over and it was time to head home. Why is it that time always goes so much faster when you are spending it with those you love?
This photo is for Katelyn, who has never been on a plane. It was a beautiful sunset as we started back for home.

An amazing and horribly sucking thing

Sometimes in life you make really tough decisions.
Yes, I know that that seems like a bit of a banal statement, but it really says so much when you think about it.

The last year seems to be full of a lot of tough decisions for both me and the people I am close with.

Tim and I decided to leave NYC. Super tough. We love it there. Tim was making good money and I was at my dream job with people I really loved working with, doing things I always wanted to do.

My sister decided to leave Spain and come back to the states while waiting to see if she receives her fullbright scholarship. Coming home was great for her (and us!) but also a really difficult decision to change everything in her life like that.

After 36 years of marriage, my parents made a ridiculously tough decision to separate. Although I am not going to get into the particulars, that is obviously the toughest one that has happened.

I guess you have to make decisions all the time, some of them you think about long and hard, others just sort of happen. Would I like to wear these orange shoes with those green socks? No, that would look aweful. See, easy decision.

I interviewed for a position that was perfect for me in everyway (almost).
It was for the Exhibitions Coordinator at the Arts Council here in Saratoga. The job description might as well have read:
Job Duties Include:
1. be Kathleen Lucey
2. be Kathleen Lucey
3. be Kathleen Lucey
The organization is wonderful. The people who both work and volunteer there are interesting, motivated, creative, fabulous people.
They offered me the job yesterday.
After a lot of searching and thinking and talking and frustration, I turned it down.

So many questions going through my head and so many uncertainties.
It was really hard. But, I guess the reality is that once you make the choice, then the rest is just dealing with what comes at you next.
Now, where did I put those polkadot pink socks, that works better with orange shoes, right?

Christmas Celebration Part II

After driving back from Vermont on Sunday, we celebrated Christmas at my Mom's house with a fabulous dinner of Osso Bucco with the neighbors and our gift exchange.
I would give you the recipe for the Osso Bucco because it is incredible. However, we have connections apparently and when we asked the Springwater Bistro (our favorite restaurant) for the recipe to cook it, they started giving us the instructions and then decided they would just make it for us! Thanks Damon, it was SO great!!

(Perhaps it was the slightly glazed over look we were getting in our eyes when Damon started explaining how to prepare the meat and then create the sauce and whatnot. Maybe they had no faith in us and figured they see us so regularly in their restaurant because we have no idea how to do anything other than open a can of Chef Boyardee. I, however, am going to stick with the thought that they are just nice. That feels better.)

A very nice night indeed. Here we are.



And here is the crazy Sammy. He was sitting in the tree but my camera only caught his bum as he was hoping down. Or, maybe he is really just mooning all of us?



Sidebar:
I guess I really can't discuss the holidays without talking about some major life changes that have been going on around here. I mean, I guess I could, this is MY blog after all. But, that would be ignoring the fact that things are different.

Considering that I think it is pretty much Gram and Aunt Bev who read this anyway, it doesn't matter much as you already know what is going on. But, whatever.

My parents have separated. It actually happened the beginning of October, but I haven't really been interested in discussing it. Actually, not real interested in discussing it now, just offering up some facts and explaining things like why 141 Lincoln Avenue is now referred to as "my Mom's house" and why you haven't seen my Dad is some of these outings photos. No, my Dad has not been eaten by a wild bear or anything, he is doing well. He just doesn't live with my Mom anymore and now when we get together we do thing separately.

We will be celebrating Christmas with my Dad and Sarah and Tim's Dad at our house tonight. Tomorrow morning early we head off to Arkansas to see Tim's Mom's side of the family.
I guess the upside of all of this is that Christmas ends up being 2 weeks long and we get to spend quality time with each of them independantly. The downside of this is, well, my parents are separated.
Holidays are a bit surreal this year.

Starting our Christmas Celebrations

This past weekend Tim, Sarah, my Mom and I went to Burlington, VT to see my Aunt Phyllis and cousin Deborah and her husband Bruce. For those of you who have not had the opportunity to meet my amazing Aunt, she is 88 years old (actually my great Aunt) and, um, amazing.

She really doesn't like to have her photo taken though. So, I didn't get any of her while we were there, but here is a photo of Sarah and me with Aunt Phyllis at our cousing Paul's wedding this past September.



And, to continue with visuals for you. I also did not get a photo of Deborah and Bruce, but here they are from same said wedding.



We drove my wonderful new car (new to me, old to the rest of the world, whatever) to Burlington. That was great and it drives so nicely. Way better than trying to fit Mom, Tim and Sarah all on the handlebars of my bike!
We had a lovely lunch with the VT crew.

Every year we travel to Burlington to see them sometime around this time of year. This year we decided to make a bit more of an adventure out of it and booked a hotel room for the night. We spent the evening wandering around the streets of Burlington, specifically Church Street which is a great pedestrian only street lined with fun shops and restaurants and such. This, I did get photos of...



One photo in each direction even.



For anyone traveling to Burlington in the near future, there is an excellent Sushi restaurant right on Church Street that we went to. Vermont, it isn't all about cows and Ben and Jerry's...they have GREAT sushi! Who knew?!!?

Made in Korea

My mother emailed me this morning that she needed to find out what kind of phone I have. Now that I have a car (mass celebration erupts around the world. No, you didn't miss that part, I haven't posted it yet. This is a bit out of order, but I will fill you in shortly, in the meantime, feel free to continue celebrating)

It really is not very safe to drive a car while talking on the phone. (Sorry, another interjection here. I think talking on the phone is actually not that big of a deal, for most people anyway. The real problem is dialing, you know, the part where you have to look at the phone and either scroll through 88 gazillion contacts to find the right one, or punch in the numbers you need...all this while NOT looking at the road or any of the other drivers around you) Anyway, it is also illegal in the state of NY to be on the phone while driving, so, I need a headset for my phone. (see car above and oh yeah, NY state doesn't care if you dial while driving, go a head and do that all day long!)

My point here...ah yes. It is only 9am. Here is my day so far summed up in the response email I sent to my Mother:


WHEW!!

That was a scare!

I took the battery out to see what type of phone it was but didn’t think to turn it off first. (Pls note, no morning coffee had been had up to this point!)

When I put the battery back in, it wouldn’t turn back on. I tried several times.

Went online to see if they had any info about what to do.

Went to the Samsung site specifically.

Entered in my model number and it told me that “We’re sorry, but no items match your query”!!!!

OKAY, my phone is not that old!

So then I tried finding it through the drop down menu thinking that maybe I some how input the info wrong.

Nope, not there either.

Now I am starting to think that I may spend my entire afternoon at the Verizon store with some guy named Cliff trying to get my phone to work because, HI! I am in the middle of trying to find a job and that number is the only one that those who have jobs have to contact me and I have just severed all connection with that world!

With a last ditch effort I decided to try the battery one last time because the definition of stupidity is doing something over and over and expecting a different result.

Unless it is a Samsung phone, model number SCH-A630 made in Korea…because then, then, for NO apparent reason, you will put the battery back in and the phone will turn on. And all will be right with the world today.

Okay, going to go get more coffee.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Here is how things are starting to shape up for us over here...


Our porch is now festive.

And here is the most beautiful tree EVER!!


Please don't mind the bum on the left of the photo.


I know this one is a little blurry, I don't have a tripod but wanted you to be able to see it with the lights.

Actually, I should take some more recent photos for you too. It now has presents under it and looks even more festive! Will do.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Ah yes, December.
A time for rush shopping, packed stores, expensive airline tickets, freezing cold temperatures and
OH WAIT
I meant, decorations and lights, time with family, spruce scented candles and Christmas songs!

After not having had a tree EVER since Tim and I have been together, we are doing it up this year. Not only do we have the most fabulous tree, we found it after walking about at the tree farm and then cutting it down ourselves! Okay, I sort of held the tree while Sarah and Tim cut it. We needed a top man really to hold it from falling, because right, you don't want this tree that lives outside in the dirt and elements to fall onto the ground! whatever, it was completely plausible at the time so I didn't have to lie on the ground with our stinking saw that was missing like, a gizillion teeth!

Anyway, here are the adventurous tree hunters, with said crummy saw.


Sarah and Tim pondering a tree, "Could this be the one?" "No" Tim says, "It's nice, but not quite perfect"


After some searching and two fields, we found the one for Mom and Sarah. Yeah, Tim and Sarah cut this one down too. Whatever! I helped carry the trees out of the field, I am not adverse to working.


Then we spotted it...


And thought it through


And declared victory, we had found our tree!


I know, this SO does not look like a "victory!" type photo, it is all sappy and sentimental and pretty silly, but it seems to be the one we have so just pretend our arms are raised over our heads and we are wearing viking helmets and cheering and whatnot.

Lights on the house and our decorated tree to come...
You just have to wait Gram, three postings in one night is pretty damn good if I do say so myself thank you very much!

FLAT kitty

Okay, these are completely UNholiday related and just sheer funny...
I give you Cleo, the world's flattest cat!







Me thinks the kitty maybe ate too much turkey?

Thanksgiving Update

So, without much fanfare as I really am NOT interested in pointing out how late these are...here are some photos from Thanksgiving at our house...


Frank, Linda and Bella arrive. You can tell this because there is Frank, cooking in the kitchen, .37 seconds after getting here! You gotta love company that shows up and starts cooking!


The crew, minus Tim who is taking the photo, before our first of many meals...Frank's homemade sauce, meatballs and sausage


The sky that night was incredible!


Bella made quick friends with Cleo, which, for those of you who know Cleo, understand what an accomplishment this was!



Thanksgiving in our dining room the next day.


Munching, chatting...


Oh yes, and napping


And then it is time for dinner!


And just because we haven't had enough...Frank decided to create yet another delicious meal for us the next day...who needs turkey, we have meatball subs!


With his trusty sous chef Bella

Next holiday on tap for you shortly!