A Few of My Favorite Things

That is, a few of my favorite Christmas presents. Now that the holidays are over I have to get my kicks somehow...

That's right, someone loved me enough to get me the Williams-Sonoma SNOWMAN pan! Just wait until I have a chance to try out this baby. I'm sure it will bring hours of cake fun (if it's anything like the pumpkin pan)!

Yes, it's fiesta time at Seredne's! So bring over your entire family because my boyfriend's mother gave me enough Fiesta dinnerware to feed 'em all! (This isn't even all of it... lots of bowls were in the dishwasher.)

What you're looking at here is a recipe book that boyfriend put together for me. These are the divided sections he made, and there are tons of plastic sleeves for me to slip my favorite recipes into!

This doesn't need much explanation... The Cake Doctor is going to help bring me death by cupcakes!

It's kind of hard to tell what's going on here... don't pay attention to the weird crab, the hanging good luck elephants, or the bust of Thomas Jefferson. The featured present here is the glowy purple ball. It's from IKEA, and when it lights up it's awesome!

Unfortunately, this one isn't REALLY mine. I bought it for my boyfriend, but it's very worth mentioning! It's a calendar called 'Extraordinary Chickens'... I knew he had to have it! All the chickens are posed with dark, regal backgrounds. They are truly extraordinary chickens.

And sadly I can't take a picture one thing - my new Canon Powershot A540! This will hopefully mean more (and better) photos!

Family Feud

My dad sent me this yesterday. It will just be the four of us for Christmas... is he trying to tell me something??

7 Ways to Squelch Holiday Squabbles

Etiquette expert Peggy Post shares tips for a harmonious holiday season. WebMD Feature Reviewed By Louise Chang Do the holidays send you running for antacids, not because of too much food ... but because of too much family? This year, try replacing the Tums with a peacekeeping plan. According to Peggy Post, author of the 17th edition of Emily Post's Etiquette, would-be holiday peacekeepers should arm themselves with the fundamentals of etiquette, "consideration, respect, and honesty." Post shared the following tips for promoting harmony at family gatherings.

1. Be Realistic Post tells WebMD the first step toward enjoying the festivities is to set aside idealized images of how things should go. "Be realistic," she says. "Don't think anything is going to be perfect." Psychologist Peter Wish, PhD, agrees that expectations are key. "Be prepared and know that people tend to get on each other's nerves and push buttons that can go all the way back to childhood," he tells WebMD. "People have these tapes in their head and tend to respond the way they did years ago. You don't need to respond the way you did before."

2. Anticipate Conflicts "Plan ahead and try to be as calm as possible with other people," Post says. If you can anticipate the types of conflicts that are likely to come up, you can plan a response in advance. This can help avoid the knee-jerk reactions that tend to escalate tensions. For example, if you tend to have the same argument with Dad again and again, come up with a plan to break the cycle. One strategy is to signal your spouse to run interference. Once you have a plan to keep yourself in line, decide how you will handle bickering among other family members. Wish suggests separating "the combatants" and asking them to call a truce for the common good.
3. Share the Work Eda Lang, a retired teacher, has hosted her extended family and friends for many holidays over the years. She says one of the biggest sources of tension is trying to prepare a feast solo when you're working full time. "You want to do right by Mom and Dad and all your loved ones, and you don't want any of them to be alone on Thanksgiving, so you invite them all. But you are stressed out from work and you have no one to help." Lang's solution is to ask relatives to help with the cooking instead of bringing gifts. "Then it does not fall on one person's shoulders economically or physically," she tells WebMD. "Get very specific when telling people what to bring." Post agrees that sharing the workload is a good way to avoid short fuses. This goes for serving and clearing, as well as cooking. "Hopefully no one is just sitting there being waited on," she says, adding that football does not excuse men from pitching in. "At Thanksgiving, many women like to watch the football games, too." She suggests assigning tasks ahead of time so everyone will know when and how they are supposed to help.

4. Define 'On Time' "Being on time is really respecting other people's time," Post says. "Communicate about what 'on time' means to you. It means different things to different people." Post also advises to call if you're running late and check with the host first if you plan to arrive early. If you are the host, let family members know what time you would like them to arrive, rather than what time you plan to start the meal. Don't assume people will come early to help unless you ask them directly.

5. Avoid Re-Gifting "You don't have to break the bank for a really nice gift," Post says. "The key is to find something the person will really like. Stay away from re-gifting, because people's feelings will be hurt" if the gift seems too generic (or if they recognize it from last year). Post says some families have reined in holiday spending while improving the quality of gifts by drawing names. "You focus on one family member each year and really get something special for that person." When receiving gifts, Post says to apply the principle of "benevolent honesty." If you don't like a present, find something nice to say about it without lying. "Always be appreciative and thank the person up front."

6. Avoid Awkward Surprises It's a familiar dilemma for many families: What do you do if your parents (or in-laws or close friends) are divorced and don't get along, but you want to invite them both? "Sometimes you have to have separate celebrations for the sake of family harmony," Post says. But if you're set on having everyone together, run it by the ex-spouses first. "Take your cue from the one you're closest to," Post advises. "Say, 'I'd love to invite John, too. Is that OK with you?'" Whatever you decide, inform both parties ahead of time so they don't show up and feel surprised. A similar strategy can help in other awkward scenarios. For example, if your brother wants to bring his partner home for Christmas, and you're worried your grandparents will disapprove, give them advance notice. "Tell them to be on their best behavior and put aside their differences at holiday time," Wish says. "If they start to act up, pull them aside and tell them it's unacceptable."

7. Be Inclusive If your family includes people of different religions or ethnicities, Post suggests including traditions that will make everyone feel welcome. "Some families have made it work out beautifully to celebrate all religions," she tells WebMD. This doesn't mean you must join in any rituals that make you uncomfortable. "If there is a prayer going on, you don't have to participate," she says. "You can just quietly sit there." Wish agrees that honoring your relatives' traditions can promote harmony at holiday gatherings. "Don't let people feel left out," he says. "Have something there that celebrates for everyone." Originally published Nov. 7, 2005

Like-Roots

I finished White Teeth. I felt a little unclear about the end, so if anyone has read it or is planning on reading it, let me know your thoughts!

I thought this story I read on the Washington Post was also somewhat timely in relation to my reading White Teeth. The article is about a young woman who was born through artificial insemination. I don't think she holds anything against her mother, or at least not as much as she holds against her "father," but she's not pleased about the way she was brought into the world.

She describes that people aren't born in a vacuum, and sperm donors don't think that what they're doing actually creates people with thoughts and feelings. It creates people who will be affected by the genetics of their parents and who want to know the history of where they came from.

Zadie Smith also deals with history and getting to the root of things. Her characters I don't think ever quite make it there, although they want to. The girl in the article doesn't make it there, even though she found her father. For someone like me who also wants to get to the root, who searches for answers about the past, who can't tie up history in a neat bow (because if I did, I would just unwrap it, poke at it, rewrap it, and repeat the cycle), I think it would be very difficult for me not to have that key piece of information (father, family, who am I).

Not that I even know that much about my father now. He offers very little about his life or his family. I can see him, I can trace the lines of my face that are directly from him. It's not a whole picture, but I'd rather see than not see.

I hope everyone is having a good countdown to the holidays. It's hard getting through work this week, especially noticing how fewer and fewer people are on the train each day. I'm planning which Christmas cookies I'd like to make. My rather excessive list for a family of four consists of:

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Russian Teacakes
Magic Bars
Peanut Butter Blossoms

Keep the turkey/ham/bread pudding or whatever else you have; I adore Christmas cookies.

Happy "Hump Day"

Overheard in Best Buy

This time of year means crazed shoppers and angry moms looking for ps3. If you're smart, you'll run like hell in the opposite direction of any mall.

But I found a little humor in it this weekend. While in line at Best Buy, holding NCAA Football '07 for my brother, a pregnant woman about five people ahead of me was inspecting the candy options hanging from the side of one of the registers. A little girl and her father were in line behind the woman, and the little girl bounced in front of her somewhat rudely.

The father sternly called the little girl back over to him and bent down on one knee, "now, this is something important you need to understand," he said, "never, ever get in between a pregnant woman and a bar of chocolate."

The little girl nodded like she had some comprehension of this statement and then bounded off in the opposite direction. I'm glad that I got to overhear a father departing such sage [ridiculous!] wisdom to his child.

I Survived the Booze and Beeps

I survived the holiday party. Obviously, I can't give too many details for fear of being fired. It was actually pretty tame compared to what I had envisioned. People were very drunk, don't get me wrong, but no one completely embarrassed themselves (although one person came close, thank God it wasn't me).

The food was amazing, though. There were all kinds of appetizers - beef Wellington truffles, chicken salad truffles, 'angry shrimp' (which was essentially spicy breaded shrimp), and some brie truffle with raspberry sauce). You had a choice between a few things for the rest - Caesar salad, tomatoes and onions, or lobster bisque; filet mignon, salmon, or lemon pepper chicken; chocolate cake or creme brulee. I went with lobster bisque, filet, and the chocolate cake. It was all heavenly, especially the lobster bisque.

I brought some of the filet home (about half) for boyfriend because it was too massive to eat in one sitting. When I went to pack my lunch this morning (he had already left), he'd already gangstered the entire thing! At least he didn't touch the rest of my chocolate cake...

We had a rough night. The alcohol (only two beers) and excessive amounts of food swirling in my stomach weren't having a good time together, and I was a little uncomfortable. And at 3:30am the smoke detector battery decided to die and kept beeping beeping beeping. I got up first and manhandled the battery out; it didn't work. Then I fussed at boyfriend to get up. He manhandled it a bit to much and wound up tossing it on the balcony. It kept beeping, but at least we couldnt hear it.

Tonight is his work holiday party. After asking him what the dress code is like, some girl finally told him, "jeans and a going out top." What is a going out top? If we're talking scandalous strappy shirts then I'm up the creek. This is altogether too much holiday fun for me, I'm already tired!

A Weekend to Remember

Friday night I was supposed to meet up with Jen, my friend from law school last year. After I got home from another fun 5pm meeting, I gave her a call. She was with another friend in the area, and that friend wanted to go get her nails done.

I felt a little dumped on. I thought it was my night to have Jen all to myself. And you know how I feel about getting nails done (or you can probably guess, based on my eyebrow rants). Two hours lately she was finally done watching her friend get her nails done, and the friend was now coming to dinner with us.

We met up at one of my favorite places for fun, Rock Bottom. Jen and I used to go to the one in Pittsburgh all the time, especially at key times such as during midterms or finals. We had some dinner, drinks and lots of laughs. But Jen's friend started losing her voice and getting sicker than apparently she had been the rest of the week. So they left; she didn't see my apt, and we didn't even get a picture or two together. I was bummed, and I was slightly intoxicated... not my favorite combination.

I know that she's living in South Carolina now and she doesn't get to see people often. She has to try to get in as many people as she can when she's around; that doesn't mean I have to like it. I had a great time with her. I forgot how easy she is to talk and joke with. I missed hearing her constant laugh. Any irritation at her friend is purely just jealously because I wanted more time.

Our friend Ray was supposed to come up for the weekend as well. He backed out because he said he had to finish working on his graduate level thesis. Boyfriend and I have a strong love and appreciation for academia, so of course we didn't balk when he started to waver. Also, I learned that I'm thanked on his acknowledgments page. That brings my number of thesis thank-yous to two graduate level theses and one undergraduate level thesis. I wouldn't hate being a professional muse, or at least a thesis muse... as long as it's nothing like Sharon Stone in that awful 1999 movie 'The Muse.' Turns out Ray just wanted to spend some quality time with his new girlfriend. Well, I guess that's forgivable too.

And it all worked out swimmingly, because I had one of the best weekends ever.

Saturday I convinced boyfriend to go to my favorite mall near us and finish up some Christmas shopping. Their holiday decorations were amazing, and I really enjoyed everything about being there. It was crowded, but not as bad as the mall we went to the weekend before. It was big, but not so big that it felt overwhelming.

Our friend Jeff happened to be in DC visiting some art shows he wanted to see. He metroed over to the mall and we all enjoyed a delicious Thai dinner. I got them to go to the Hallmark store outside with me, and I finally found the perfect gift for boyfriend's mother - A Very Merry Trio. It's a snowman and two penguins, and then dance to music and rattle bells.

Anyone remember Billy the Big-mouthed Bass? Most people bought him as a joke gift or for someone they really didn't like. My boyfriend's mother got it because she thought it was great. She also has singing stuffed dogs, a witch portrait that sticks out its tongue and makes fun of you when you walk buy, a talking/singing Frankenstein door knocker, and lots of other things I'm trying to forget. My only hope is that she doesn't buy A Very Merry Trio before I can give it to her.

Well if having my two favorite men as shopping buddies wasn't great enough, we also went to Cold Stone Creamery, watched my nudey neighbor for awhile, and played some XBOX. Truly a night to remember.

On Sunday we made a quick and decisive trip to the grocery store. Also, I got boyfriend to agree to take me to see 'The Holiday.' I was just in one of those romantic comedy moods. I didn't want anything that would shatter my world, just some mindless, fun entertainment at the theater. We race there to make it in time. The previews come on, the previews cut off. The previews come on, the previews cut off. Repeat cycle. Some guy comes in to pass out reimbursement tickets and assures us that the movie will begin shortly. Repeat previous cycle a few times. Forty-five minutes later another guy shrugs that the movie probably isn't going to work. "So, should we go?" we wonder. Who knows. It's a big mystery. We left, no movie.

That was a bummer. I was all hyped up to see a holiday romantic comedy. I went to the video store downstairs to try to satisfy my romantic comedy desires, and I rented 'The Break-up.' I know that I make other people sad when I crap all over things they like, but seriously, do you really like The Break-Up? A movie where two people scream for two hours and then don't even satisfy the classic cliche of reuniting in the end? This movie seriously pissed me off and didn't help my problem at all.

But, I decided to stop being lame, and I picked up a book I've been meaning to read that's been beckoning me from the bookshelf for a few weeks now - White Teeth. So far it's great, and I'm thrilled.

Other lovely news from the weekend is that I tried out the other trial pair of contacts I picked up since the O2 Optix weren't working out. These are Acuvue Oasys, worn by Olympic figure skater Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto! These contacts are really working out for me! I highly recommend them to anyone who spends long periods of time in front of the computer, gets frequent headaches or tired eyes, or works in any other environment that's not conducive to contacts. Also, I love Tanith & Ben... and figure skating... and the Olympics!

I could mention some crap about my Monday at work, but why tarnish such a great weekend? Hope you all had a good one as well! Don't let Monday get you down.

Noel

Last night I dreamt that it was Christmas Eve. I was at work in my office. It was decorated and beautiful everywhere, but the street outside was mostly empty.

It got later and later. My boss kept us longer and longer... 9pm, 10pm. Finally someone left, but for some reason I wasn't allowed to leave yet. At 11pm I finally escaped. My boyfriend hadn't called, no one was in the street, and I couldn't figure out how to get home.

I'm a big dreamer... daydreams, nightdreams, don't mess with my dreams! This is where I draw the line! No way should I be having nightmares about working overtime until 11pm on Christmas Eve! It's horrible. I may have to leave at 5pm today like a normal person, just in protest of this awful dream.

Can anyone who has updated to Blogger Beta tell me if there's an option to make your blog three columns? Blogger beta says it offers all these ways to customize your blog. I've gotten as far as the templates page, which all look exactly the same as those in regular Blogger to me, but to go any further you have to risk losing all your current customizations. I would like to look before I leap off the blogosphere this time.

Happy Friday!
Happy Pay Day!
Good luck studying this weekend (for those who have exams coming up)!

Where did all the turkey go?

Shit! I just realized I only have this evening to make a new banner. How did we get through November so quickly? I have to say, I like holidays and months with holidays, but I think I'm ruling that November kinda sucked.

Historically, I think November might be my least favorite month (but it's in a close race with January). My life with November has included truly loved ones dying and bad relationships starting and then a year later (in November again) going through the serious suck phase and ending. In college it means the end of the semester and exams are coming up. It means lots of dreary days of winter again. And in 2006 it means, "Shit, I've been out of law school for six months and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!"

But I'm not completely ready to throw in the towel yet. My labor and delivery nursing contact finally got back to me! She can't fit me in until late January at the earliest, but something is better than nothing! Until then I'm wondering if I should try to take some community college night class. One, it would begin getting prerequisites out of the way, and two, why not? I like class... I think!

There are some great cooking courses coming up in the new year at Sur la table. Hopefully I'll get a chance to cash in over there. But speaking of cashing in, I've been thinking about Christmas gifts. Why are men so hard to shop for? Or maybe it's just my man. I look through the store catalogs and watch commercials on tv, and they always have the section or blurb that says, "Gifts for Him." Then they feature things like a rotating tie rack, an all in one wrench, or maybe a beer mug that says, "man of the house." If I gave one of these things to my boyfriend, I think that would probably be the thing to end our relationship right there. There's so much pressure to find that one thing that would really show your loved one just how much you love them. But what the hell is it?! Men aren't the most forthcoming creatures. With women, maybe they won't say what they want right away, maybe they'll want the man to be able to figure it out on his own, but basically she'll probably cave and just say it.

So, if anyone has any amazing gifts in mind...