2009 Hissie Fit

My auntie gave me this mug for Christmas. I like it. A lot. It sums up the past year perfectly for me.

Because if I hadn't had a hissie fit this time last year, I wouldn't have joined Weight Watchers and lost 40 pounds.

I wouldn't have dropped three sizes and replaced my entire wardrobe.

I wouldn't have bought an ugly pair of shoes and started walking and jogging.

And I wouldn't have started blogging.

I'm about to have a new hissie fit for 2010. Dillypoo has another 15 pounds to lose, which means taking the exercise thing to a new level and continuing with the healthy habits learned this year.

I may join a yoga class or start jogging in the park instead of in the dining room on my treadmill.

And I think I'll check out the on-line tools that Weight Watchers has to offer. I hear there's an app for that, and you know how much I love my iPhone.

Yes, hissie fits can be a very powerful thing. Here's hoping 2010 sees many more with results as fabulous as this year!

Blizzard!

Dillypoo doesn't know much about snow. I grew up in California and Texas, where white Christmases were something seen only in movies or on tee vee.

So when yesterday's blizzard arrived in North Texas, I was pretty excited. Snow! Beautiful, blustery ground-sticking snow!

The Professor, however, grew up in Ohio. He wasn't as enthusiastic about the weather. Especially since we had to drive an hour to spend Christmas Eve with family out in the country:

Dillypoo: "Isn't it beautiful!"

The Professor: "It's making the roads icy."

Dillypoo: "It's not that bad! It's so Christmassy!"

The Professor: "We're leaving right after dinner."

Dillypoo: "No we're not! It's just a little snow!"

The Professor: "Are you nuts?! The roads are terrible and getting worse!"

Dillypoo: "Do you want me to drive?"

The Professor: "Um, no."

However, The Professor was right. The farther away from town we got, the worse the roads, weather and traffic became:

Most of the drivers in these parts haven't seen or driven on much snow, either. A lot of them ended up in ditches or stuck spinning their wheels in slush. We saw more than a few fender benders.

But The Professor relied on his Yankee upbringing and snow-driving instincts. Our one-hour drive took an extra 30 minutes, but we arrived safely.

My parents had arrived a few hours earlier, ahead of the storm. They didn't know that the pretty snowfall outside was wrecking havoc on the highways. The drive from town had converted me to The Professor's way of thinking. We needed to eat and leave!

I tried to explain the situation to my parents.

Dillypoo: "The drive here was treacherous. We need to cut Christmas Eve short and get moving."

Mom: "Yes, dear."

Dillypoo: "You're not taking this seriously! The roads are bad!"

Daddypoo: "Really? Is the pork roast ready?"

The Professor and I cajoled and prodded, but to no avail. We left without them two hours after we arrived. The roads were worse:

It took us two hours to get home. My parents left more than hour after we did. It took them two and a half hours to get home.

But everyone made it home safely, if a bit cold and frosty. And this morning, we awoke to a white Christmas!

Now we have to drive 30 minutes to my brother's house for Christmas day festivities.

Just as soon as the roads are clear.

Merry Christmas! Love, Dillypoo.

Holiday Fashion Faux Pas

Q: What happens when you take a box of tacky Christmas sweaters to work?

A: The holiday fashion police are called to issue citations!

Today was Winter Festival at the office. It was an excuse to dress up in our best (or worst) holiday outfits. You know what I'm talking about. Everyone has at least one overly-appliquéd, sparkly sweater or battery operated bow tie in their closet.

Me, I have a box full of Christmas fashions past (thanks, Mom). And I brought my collection of seasonal horror to share, just in case somebody forgot to dress appropriately.

And it was a good thing I did, because some of the guys didn't get the memo and had to borrow from the box:

Maybe next year they'll remember to wear a more manly Christmas tie that lights up and plays Jingle Bells.

I was impressed by how stylish some of the office elves were. Crocheted snowmen, sequined poinsettias and furry snow boots created quite the fashion show:

And who knew fish net stockings and patent leather loafers were so festive?

Of course, not everyone has a well-developed sense of holiday style:

Sorry, but there's really no excuse for a Cosby sweater at any time of year. So embarrassing!

Other folks took their fashion "statements" literally:

And still others managed to squeak by with seasonally appropriate head gear:

And what did Dillypoo wear? Well, at first I planned to wear my most awful red knit sweater suit (yes, SUIT...a matching knit pants and jacket set) with felt poinsettias, but gosh darn it! It was too big (thanks, Weight Watchers). So I dressed like an elf instead:

I really have nothing more to say.

Weigh Day Update: I missed my weigh in tonight. I witnessed an accident on my way to the meeting and had to wait for emergency crews to show up. Amazingly, neither the driver who ran the red light, his passenger nor the folks in the car he hit were seriously hurt. How they felt about having a Christmas elf at their rescue I don't know.

Santos Santa

The Professor and I went to our favorite, annual holiday party last night.

It was dark and I forgot to use my camera with a flash, but I was able to catch Santos Santa and his helper as they arrived to pelt the crowd with candy:

Rasta Santa visited last year. Santos must be Santa's new disguise for 2009.

While he was there, he passed out presents:

This was my best shot. The overhead light was on for about 10 seconds before the crowd got nasty and it was switched off again.

The art crowd prefers to party in low light.

Santos Santa had a gift for me!

You never know what Santos Santa will be handing out. Last year he gave me a stapler emblazoned with a testosterone pharmaceutical brand name.

This year was a bit more crafty:

Somebody suggested that I blog about 120 new ways to transform a T-shirt. Which I thought was a pretty awesome idea.

Maybe that'll be my blog focus for 2010.

Tis the Season

I finally decorated the tree that The Professor and I bought last weekend.

It's a tiny little thing, about three feet tall. I threw some colored lights and silver ornaments on it to make it a bit more festive.

It's a far cry from the gargantuan, artificial tree that I used to put up every year.

Dillypoo has a huge collection of Disney ornaments. Enough to fill a seven foot tree. And a wreath.

That tree used to take a full three days to put up and decorate. We set it up in the dining room and then closed the doors and spent our time upstairs, where it's warm.

Which is one of the reasons I don't put it up anymore. Another excuse is that I'm just too exhausted after my work's busy season to hassle with decorating.

So for the past few years, The Professor and I have bought a potted Norfolk pine to enjoy. It's made Christmas much simpler.

And this year we're simplifying the holidays even more. We got our families to agree to make charitable donations in lieu of exchanging gifts.

Which has made the season much less stressful and a bit more meaningful.

Although I do need to buy gifts for my nieces and nephews. And maybe a bauble or two for The Professor.

Some habits are hard to break.

Weigh Day Update

I'm not sure how I managed it, but Dillypoo lost .2 pounds this week bringing my total loss back to an even 40 pounds since January.

I was fully prepared to see another gain tonight. After all, I ate more than one of these:

And I definitely drank more than one of these:

I also had fried chicken and waffles:

I'm finding this month to be the biggest challenge since rejoining Club WW. Parties, art openings and office snacks are conspiring against me. No wonder most Americans gain 5-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year!

Tonight's weigh-in boosted my resolve somewhat. As did a little retail therapy last weekend. While shopping for something festive to wear to a special event, I managed to stuff and zipper my formerly fat fanny into a pair of size 8 slacks!

Only nine more days until Christmas. I can do this!

Christmas Miracle (Sort Of)

Remember the sad tale of Mr. E? Well, it seems Santa really is magic because Mr. E survived his fiery brush with death:

Mr. E and Jingle are assigned to the home of a friend, which is where the tragic accident occurred. After several calls to Santa and a frantic trip to his workshop, Mr. E has been fully restored to his former self.

Dedicated to his job as an Elf on the Shelf, it must be noted that Mr. E never left his post. A seasoned professional, his injuries went unnoticed by hiding on shelves much taller than the children on his watch.

Potential childhood trauma about Christmas and dead elves seems to have been averted.

However, it was discovered during his recovery that Mr. E has a dirty secret:

It is suspected that the reading lamp in which he was found may not have been the sole cause of his accident.

Today is the last day to post a comment and have a can of food donated to my local food bank!

Tipsy Holidays

Today was Dillypoo Day.

Drunk Dillypoo Day to be more precise. The limo picked me up at 10:45 and I had my first cranberry infused simple syrup Cape Cod at 11:00.

I needed the drink after starting my day searching for the remains of Lucy and Ethel's evening activities. Two cats versus one mouse. Guess who won that confrontation.

Guess who got to clean up the crime scene.

After that auspicious start to Dillypoo Day, I managed to maintain a decent level of insobriety for most of the day. Beginning with the Cape Cods (fruit juice is good in the morning and even better spiked with Grey Goose) and followed by wine at lunch and coffee with Bailey's with dessert:

I suppose I should mention that today was one of the four holidays from Club WW that I planned for this month. I ordered Alaskan king crab legs for lunch, though. It was my one homage to something healthy for today.

I was fully expecting to be sober by 5:00 and eating vegetarian for dinner until my mother called. The Professor and I joined her and Daddypoo for dinner and another glass of wine (or two). We drove around town looking at Christmas lights afterwards:

...and laughed about random things, like my mother's obsession with razor blades.

Mama don't feel safe without her razor blades handy.

Daddypoo sleeps with one eye open, just in case. Maybe that's why he falls asleep in bookstores so frequently.

It was a random, tipsy day. And just what I needed.

Now it's off to bed.

Please leave a comment before December 14 and I'll donate a can of food to my local food bank!

Holiday Treats

We had a pot-luck luncheon today at the office. I brought cake pops and sugared cranberries.

Cake pops are the brain child of the brilliant Bakerella. I am in awe of her ability to create perfectly round and absolutely adorable cake pops. Mine are usually misshapen and not-so-adorable.

My co-workers don't seem to mind, though. They devoured four dozen of them.

They also snacked their way through a bowl of sugar and spice cranberries:

I made these for several reasons: They're semi-nutritious, easy to make and tasty.

(And the simple syrup they leave behind is absolutely divine in holiday cocktails. Which I plan to enjoy on my day off tomorrow.)

These are so simple that I thought I'd share the recipe. You'll need:

3 cups sugar
3 cups water
4 cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
1 bag of fresh cranberries (rinsed)

Combine the sugar, water and spices in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a large glass bowl and add cranberries. Cover and refrigerate for eight hours (I usually leave them in the fridge overnight). Drain the simple syrup and remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Line a cookie sheet or shallow pan with waxed paper and spread out the cranberries. Sprinkle with sugar and let dry for two hours. Transfer to a festive bowl and serve!

Please leave a comment before December 14 and I'll donate a can of food to my local food bank!

Obituary for an Elf

It is with sadness that I report the death of one of Santa's elves:

It seems that Mr. E (on the left) was burned to a crisp while on Elf-on-the-Shelf duty earlier this week. It is assumed that the elderly elf fell asleep while hiding in a reading lamp:

Mr. E's charred remains were discovered by the home owner who fell asleep while reading under the elf's hiding place. It is not known why Mr. E left his shelf.

Santa has been informed and a new partner for Jingle the Elf will be on assignment soon.

Weigh Day Update: While I didn't fall off the wagon this week, I definitely dropped the reigns. I gained another .6 pounds. I think I need a new plan to deal with the holidays. I did better during my grueling fall work schedule because I had a structured plan of attack. I hope to have better results to report next week!

Please leave a comment before December 14 and I'll donate a can of food to my local food bank!

Just Do It - Again

This is important, ladies!



My mammogram is scheduled for January. When was your last exam?

Just Do It

Dillypoo's get up and go got up and went. The colder weather is making me wish for a lazy weekend lying around in my pajamas, drinking hot tea and watching movies on tee vee.

Sometimes making a To Do list helps jump start the motivation. Let's see if it works.

To Do #1
Get off my lazy bum and hit the park for a four mile walk. Or haul my fanny downstairs to the treadmill for 30 minutes. Either one will do. It's just that I didn't expect to find working out harder in the cold than during the hot and sticky summer.

Maybe I need to go shopping for cold weather workout gear. Shopping always helps.

To Do # 2
Make the bed, run the vacuum, clean the bathroom and tidy up the kitchen. "Neat Freak" is not a term generally ascribed to Dillypoo. So long as the clutter is at a minimum, I can usually overlook a build up of cat hair and dust bunnies.

There. I said it. Now you know the truth. Dillypoo and The Professor live like unsupervised 12-year olds.

To Do #3
Get ready for the office holiday pot luck lunch and white elephant gift exchange. I've decided to make some of Bakerella's cake pops and a bowl of sugared cranberries. This will require a trip to the Super Target and Hobby Lobby. And maybe Marshall's.

More shopping! My motivation level is starting to build.

To Do #4
Blog. Oh wait! I just did. Guess I can check that off my list.

Please leave a comment before December 14 and I'll donate a can of food to my local food bank!

The Consequences of Pie

I bake pies during the holidays. It's what I do. It's what my family expects. And as you can see from my baby brother's delighted expression, I'm happy to oblige.

Daddypoo likes apple pie with strudel toppings. He specifically likes his mama's apple pie. Unfortunately, Grandma didn't write down her recipes. I've baked more apple pies trying to replicate that mystery recipe than I care to count. Daddypoo always insists that my pies need more sugar.

I think Grandma may have used canned apples and a cup of sugar, but that's a place I just can't go.

I have become a bit of an expert on apple pies, though (I think). My favorite is a sour cream apple pie with a brown sugar topping.

I made it again this year. Mmmmm!

Mom and The Professor like pumpkin pie. I have to bake two pumpkin pies every year because they don't like to share. I hate pumpkin pie, but I'm told mine is pretty good.

If you like that kind of thing.

I can take or leave pecan pie. It's usually too sweet for my taste, but it's tradition. This year I decided to try a new recipe.

Pioneer Woman's pecan pie recipe.

With one teeny, tiny change: I used both dark and light corn syrup (a half cup of each). It was a tip from Martha Stewart. I hope PW doesn't mind.

Because it was by far the BEST PIE I'VE EVER BAKED.

And may have had something to do with the .8 pound gain I showed tonight at Club WW.

Please leave a comment before December 14 and I'll donate a can of food to my local food bank!