Good Monday Morning Everybody!

How is everyone today? Everybody have a good weekend? Mine was busy, busy, busy....McMom is feeling much better so she's been more like herself the past 3 days. Saturday, she and I and my sister went out to lunch and then we went looking at a new house (my sister is thinking about buying a new one). Yesterday, my sister and her business partner threw a very nice Christmas party that we attended. So today, I called into work and decided to do some catchup stuff here at the house. Oh yeah, I'm really making headway as I sit here in my bathrobe sipping hot tea...hehe. Actually I am going to get going soon, I just need to wake up. I know I won't get all this stuff done today but I figure if I don't make a goal, I can't fall short of it, so these are my goals for today: finish Christmas shopping, get the tree up and house decorated, get my labels straight for Christmas cards so I can get them out by the end of the week and finish baking Christmas cookies. My eating has been okay this weekend. I got all my protein in. I was a little short on my fluids....and I won't mention the various Christmas cookies that I nibbled on. Well the only consolation is the fact that I eat them one at a time now rather than the 10 or 12 at a time that I used to eat. I haven't exercised or been to the gym lately. I did think about the gym this past weekend so at least it's back on my radar. McMom really is doing much better so that's such a huge relief that I'm thinking about other things! Well I'm going to get off of here and get cracking. I'll check back in at some point today. Have a Wonderful Day! Take Care, Terry

Good morning Terry Sounds like you did have a busy weekend! Sounds like McMom is doing really well. We ran around on Saturday .. did some errands and also stopped at the County's GIS open house. It was held at the new Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Glen Burnie. Mr Mo is like a big kid and got to see the Fire Department Mobile Command vehicle and the Police Mobile command too AND one of the County's helicopters, so he was a happy camper. I was up and out to Big Vanilla early on Saturday. I did 20 minutes each on the treadmill and the stationary bike. I've got my bag in the truck to stop on my way home tonight. Yesterday, I started my Christmas fudge making. I got two sessions of 4 batches each made, so I've got 16 pounds of fudge to cut up and get packaged. I need to assess my containers and see what I have to put fudge in this year. I usually end up buying tins and I may have waited too long this year. I was thinking of the holiday zip lock or gladware containers, but haven't seen any of those either. We bought the first Pirates of the Carribean movie on Saturday. Since Mr Mo had never seen it and I had only partly watched it on commercial TV, we watched that yesterday afternoon in front of a nice roaring fire. Then we watched CARS. I love that movie ... Ok, I've got things to get done here too .. AND I need to make some coffee ..

Hey Moie - Wow! I feel like I've missed so much being away!!! Glad everything's going well for you and that Big Vanilla's working out well. I forgot about Mr. Mo and his fire department fetish - I'll have to see if I can arrange a tour for him to see OUR helicopter, which, of course, is the biggest and best in the State. It's no big deal to me anymore, of course, but I'm sure he'd be just like a kid getting to sit in it!!! I usually do fudge, too, for Christmas, but have thus far been concentrating on cookie making. This weekend, KB and I will be dipping pretzel rods and peppermint sticks in chocolate for their teachers. K has decided that since it's her last year at this school before middle school, she'd (me) like to make candy for all of her favorite teachers!!! I think we're gonna need some more chocolate!!! If it helps, in past years, I've put fudge in the aluminum containers that have plastic lids. I've gotten them at the dollar store, but if they don't have them, I know they have treat bags there, which may be an option for you. If there's a DJ Liquidator's near you, they're usually a good source for containers, too. BTW, B said to me, "It was really nice of that man to pass Mommy on her post office driving test even though she hit a pole!!!!""" I LOVE IT!!! The po is obviously desperate. I think the job's kicking her butt, but we have no sympathy for her. Especially because she used to dis Gary and say, "What's so hard about your job? All you do is put mail in boxes!!!!" PAYBACK TIME!!! Have a great day! See you on the 17th! Tia

Oh my!! We've seen a MSP helicopter up close but I don't think he's ever gotten to sit in one!!! I just have to find the time to go searching for containers. It's not like I didn't know I was going to do this and that I would need containers .. but heck .. what's the LAST minute for??? I have to get 8 that are basically similar for my staff .. and I need those for Thursday so I still have a couple of 'last minutes' left ... They MUST be desperate!!! Ya never know she may not survive her probationary period tho. See you Sunday! Hugs, Mo

Funny you should mention the probationary period. Gary & I have a bet going - I bet that she gets canned before 12/28, and he's picked 1/5. Loser has to take winner to dinner in the city of HER choice. He'll pick a local Outback, and me, shrinking violet that I am, have picked Tavern on the Green in NYC!!!!! NYC, here I come!!!!!! hehehehe!! Tia

Hey Mo, I saw the glad disposable containers with Christmas designs on them last week at K-Mart. They came in multi-packs with different designs on them. HTH T

Thanks Terry! I need to run get gas tonight so I'll be almost to the bridge, maybe I'll just run over to Stevensville to K-Mart .. If I don't go tonight, there's always tomorrow night if I can hold out on gas another day. Hugs, Mo

Honey, I'm home!!!!! Before I bore you with tales of NYC, I'm soooooo happy McMom is doing better, thus, you're doing better, too! Give me a call sometime today if you feel like it, I'll be at wor****il 5. ICK!!! Did I ever mention that I want to be independently wealthy???? NYC was great, but when we stepped off the bus Thursday night, the bitter cold was horrible!! It wasn't cold in NYC - brisk, but not cold, and it was very sunny, so it was actually pretty comfortable. We did soooo much - on Wednesday, we had lunch at Carnegie Deli - I ate the corned beef off of 1/2 a sandwich and had 3 bites of cheesecake - all worth it!!! Then we went for a carriage ride through Central Park - get this - the carriage and horse were decorated in purple!!! The only purple carriage in the park!!! The carriage was white and had lavendar leather seats, blankets and flowers, the horse had a purple blanket, bridle, plume on his head and purple polish on his hooves!!! BEAUTIFUL!!! After that, we walked up 5th Avenue, where I can only afford to sniff the air. Although we did go into the Disney Store so I could buy KB some things. After that, Mom was getting tired, so we took a cab back to Times Square to the Hershey Store, and then walked around the corner to our hotel. We had dinner with friends at Rosie O'Grady's - I wasn't impressed, and the beef in the stew didn't like me a whole lot. After that, we went to Macy's - love that store!! Didn't really buy anything, but we soaked up the Christmas spirit - AND some free chocolates. By that time, we were pooped, so we took a cab back to the hotel. Thursday a.m., we met our tour group at 8:30, so we were up at 5 to pack, eat and drop off our luggage. The tour, which was a private shuttle, ran from 8:30-2:30, and took us literally everywhere, including a ride past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and back. The most moving part of the trip for me was visiting the church in front of the World Trade Center site. St. Paul's Chapel is the oldest, continuously operating church in the country. It's where George Washington prayed after his presidential inauguration, so it's steeped in history. It's also where some of the first bodies were taken on 9/11, and even though it's literally feet away from the site - sustained NO damage. There were memorials inside, pictures of the rescue operation, mock sleeping/eating arrangements, etc. Very dramatic and emotional. I didn't take a lot of pictures inside, I just didn't feel it was appropriate. We also visited Strawberry Fields, the memorial to John Lennon, just across the street from the Dakota, where he was killed. And on and on and on....too much to name in an email. After that, we had dinner at Carmine's, a family-style Italian restaurant, where we had awesome lasagna and chicken parm. After that, we visited the brand new M&M World in Times Square - but I still like the Hershey's Store better. After that, it was time to head back to the hotel to wait for the bus. Again, the cold was a rude surprise when we got back!!! All in all, we had a great time, I love being with my Mom up there, we just feel so removed from everything. Even though I missed KB and Molly, it was nice being away!!! I didn't do great as far as getting my fluids in - it's kind of hard to drink 160 oz. a day and find a bathroom in NYC!!! But I'm back on track today!!! The trip for next year is already scheduled for 12/5 & 6, so if anyone's interested, let me know and I'll email when I get the details. It runs between $300-400, depending upon whether you include a show or not. Yesterday, my aunt and I hosted a Christmas Tea/Cookie Exchange, which was a lot of fun. We made tea sandwiches and scones and had a variety of teas, and of course, we sampled the cookies, too! It was just a nice girl's day! Well, I'm back to work and I've got to be here EVERY day until at least 5 - boohoo!!!!, so I'd better earn my keep. Have fun getting all that stuff done, hope it's a productive day for you. Again, give McMom my best, and please know that I'll be thinking of all of you tomorrow, and you on Tuesday for your bday!!! Take care, Tia

Welcome Back! Sounds like the trip to NYC was great! I told Mom and Cindy this weekend that I want to go there for a weekend trip next year. I dunno, maybe we can join your trip That is too much about the purple carriage. I was sitting here reading your post with a big grin on my face. Your Tea/Cookie Exchange sounds like fun. I'm baking some more today. Well, I haven't actually started (laundry took priority), but at least I got the Macadamia Nuts chopped up. I have to do Macadama with White Chocolate Chips and Oatmeal Raisin and then I think I'm done. Unless I decide I need to make more. I'm taking the bulk of these cookies to the Live Nativity at Church on Saturday night. I don't want all this crap sitting here at the house calling my name...hehehe. I will give Mom the message. She's definitely feeling better. I think she'll be better if the Dr. takes the drain out when Cindy takes her tomorrow. I'm celebrating my birthday on Weds by getting my hair done...hehe..ya know ya have no life (love life or otherwise) when ya celebrate your birthday by getting your hair done...geesh!!..hehehe). We went and picked up my birthday cake on Sat - Carvel with double vanilla (no chocolate ice cream) with the chocolate crunchies...yummy!! I think we're going to wait and eat it next Sunday when we wind up celebrating my birthday. They're taking me out to eat somewhere. I haven't decided where I want to go yet. Decisions, decisions...hehe. Well, the dryer is calling, let me get moving here....have a great day back at work, I hope it's not too bad for ya after being off last week Hugs, T

TRUST me, you DON'T want to go to NYC on a weekend in December!!! Gary likened it to salmon trying to swim upstream. You literally have to move where the crowds take you - that's why this trip is on a Wednesday-Thursday and Friday is for recuperating. That would be great if all of you could come. We probably take cabs more than most people, simply so Mom's asthma doesn't get out of control, so we probably move at a pace that would be comfortable for McMom, too. I'll let you know the details when I get them. I was watching the Food Network this weekend - can't remember who, not a familiar name, but anyway, she took a roll of ready-made sugar cookie dough, added pistachios and dried cherries, and once they were baked, dipped them in melted white chocolate. Sounds like a recipe for next year's cookie exchange! Well, happy baking and happy, happy day off!!! Let's try to get together right after Christmas to celebrate Christmas and your bday! My treat - so you get to pick another restaurant!!! Tia