Desert Magnolia

I thought my days of being sappy, hormone-ridden Mama were kind of over. But I was wrong. Yesterday Daughter arrived for her holiday stay. Exhausted, but happy. It was a good first semester. And she loves Providence. We had a fun dinner, relaxed a little, then she went to visit her boyfrien'. Who misses her a lot. And ditto her him. We joked about being home by 3 if possible...because once your college kid returns you don't apply the same curfew pressure anymore, you just hope they make good decisions and get their butts home before the bars close and all the idiot drunks are out in force. So when the doorbell rang around 115 a.m., I was a little afraid. A little miffed (to be awakened from a sound, sound sleep.) A bit perplexed. After all, Daughter was driving my car, and my car has a garage door opener in it meaning she wouldn't need to come to the front door to get in unless she had forgotten where I keep that opener..which she wouldn't. See what I mean?

Dear SmartBargains.com, Thank you for your most cordial notification this week that you'd employed quality control processes in your organization, processes that revealed a less than perfect product, and which resulted in your canceling an order. Mine. It would have been nice if you could have notified me when you actually canceled it, instead of a whole week later. I'm just sayin'... If it had been about me ordering yet another kitchen gadget or household item or even personal clothing and this had happened, I'd be ok with it. I'm flexible that way. In principle I am ok with what you did, but because you decided to do what you did, my son is not getting the one thing he actually asked for for Xmas this year on Christmas. Fortunately, my husband is a champion shopper and just happened to be out and about and found a most amazing replacement today. Which means our son may get it by New Years. May. [ crossed fingers] See, SmartBargains, the person we pu

May I just say what a PITA the whole wearing/adjusting to contacts thing is? They're not uncomfortable at all. They're very comfortable, but my brain is taking its everloving time adjusting to the whole monovision thing. Seriously. So nothing is in real focus, everything is kinda sorta in focus. I'm getting a little tired of that but am assured it's temporary. Also, being visually challenged is expensivo . Thank goodness for vision insurance and a cafeteria plan reimbursement at Hubby's work, or this would be a full on holiday bummer of a cash drain. But, last night I ordered some very cool glasses that will act as backups to my contacts. Same prescrip, with a progressive lens (which means I'm just plain old and my eyes aren't as flexible as they used to be which makes me want to do eye yoga or stand on my head to encourage said flexibility..). That'll 'take a little while to get used to.' My new glasses...not quite black, and simple de

Not that I want/need a break from the office or anything... Clearly, I'm perceiving two days off as a way to regroup, gather my thoughts (ie get my ever lovin' act together with regard to sending Son a holiday package ASAP and sending Daughter a 'study for finals kit' and generally planning planning planning for the holiday to come sooner than I'm prepared for..) and get control of my life. Right. Two days is soooo not enough to accomplish a task of this magnitude. But I may be able to make some progress. Anyway, having now recovered from the disappointment of Grey's Anatomy being preempted by holiday programming (Frosty the Snowman. Really?? What about Meredith and Yang and Mc Steamy and Lexi and Bailey and the hottie?? What about them??) I'm now looking forward to an evening which will include Kathleen Madigan's In Other Words performance. She's hilarious, in a wry, smartassy way. Which is part of her appeal, of course. On the boards for

Bones. Grey's Anatomy. DVR'd The Office and Thirty Rock. I just love Thursdays. Maybe because I was born on a Thursday? Or maybe I'm just a junkie for a few shows that happen to be on Thursdays. Also because my friend JL and I text incessantly during Grey's, which feels kind of sorority with a glass of wine (instead of spiked punch) and pjs (instead of togas.)

I can't lie, I was kind of looking forward to a little beefcake with my lunch yesterday. Don't judge me, please. I don't get out much, and when I do, it's not usually with a partying crowd. Anyway, Ming Dynasty not Minx Chinese restaurant aka Minx Gentleman's Club, is closed on Tuesdays. Really. On Tuesdays. Go figure. So, I gave Grandma Gin a quick call on her cell, who then stopped the van o' blue hairs from trekking all the way up and across town. Knowing the hubub that would ensue should a new restaurant need to be agreed upon, I threw one in the hat, a Vietnamese favorite, May Cafe. Of the many many meals we've had with many many people there, everyone has always been very happy, so it was a good bet. Grandma suggested May Cafe, which turned out to be unanimously accepted as next best option (and I really think would have trumped Ming/Minx anyway based on what I saw of the exterior of the wanna be Gentleman's Club posing as a Chinese eatery

Grandma Gin: We're meeting at Minx Chinese restaurant this month for lunch. I think it's Minx, up at Eubank and Candelaria. Me: Minx? Hmm. I've never heard of that one, but of course I'll meet you guys there, Gran. Grandma Gin: Just keep looking if you don't see it right away. If it's not that, just look for one that starts with an 'M' and is in that area, ok? You can find it. You're good at this stuff. Me: Thanks, Gran. I'll find it. Same time as always? Grandma Gin: Yep. We leave our place right at noon, so we should be there by 1215ish. So, I do the online search for Minx Chinese restaurant in Albuquerque and find a Minx Gentleman's Club in Phoenix. Now, these ladies are adventurous, have seen just about all there is to see, so maybe they're taking it up a notch this month and combining a road trip with lunchtime entertainment? But if that was the case wouldn't we be going to a Chippendale's type establishment? And I

Months have personalities, don't you think? The deep winter months are heavy and in spite of one of them having less days than others and also containing an obligatory love-focused holiday, they drag on and on and on... The spring months bring the winds and the surprise snows, but we expect that, and have learned to roll with the windy punches. Summer months...make us want to stretch out by a cool pool and enjoy jogs in the mountains and bbqs on the patio and late nights under the stars enjoying the balminess of it all. And then there's an acceleration that begins in late August and increases through the end of October and slingshots through November...the speed with which these months pass always amazes and exhausts me. And then December lands, full of activities, full of food, full of people and friends and shopping and shipping and the occasional snowfall and the holiday bustle and the first really heavy deep cold weather of the year. We're there now. And it