Sunday, December 29, 2019

Maryland Excursion 2019

With the home half of Christmas 2019 concluded, Team WestEnders hit the road for the travel portion of the schedule, heading north to catch up with our Maryland loved ones. First, there had been some discussion about whether we'd leave Thursday afternoon--following the paradigm we adopted a couple of years ago, when we figured out how much easier it was to miss all the horrific traffic by sneaking through in the evening--or Friday morning...thereby risking All. The. Backups. I would like it stated for the record, right here, that I vehemently voted for the former...but was overruled. Aaaannnnd guess what happened? That's right, sweeties, our historic nemesis, commonly known as "Virginia", rose up and bit us in the...patootie...yet again.

Image may contain: shoesHonestly, the only positive thing to come out of that wholly infuriating experience was that Riley took the first shift, racked up 90 solid minutes behind the wheel, and thereby acquired the final hour he needed to log for his Learner's Permit requirements. You know what that means, yeah? Watch out, License Test, here he comes! Other than that, the delay almost--but fortunately not quite--derailed our plan to get the HECK out of the car and hike for a while near the end of the journey, before finishing up at my Dad's house for the beloved, time-honored Friday Night Pizza tradition.

We didn't have as much daylight left as we'd hoped, so our stroll through the woods at Sugarloaf Mountain was slightly abbreviated...and perhaps a bit brisker than originally anticipated...but still delightfully peaceful, enjoyable, and rejuvenating. This turned out to be especially important once we arrived at Casa Extended-Fam...otherwise called Cousin Chaos Central. Yes, there was dinner, which was the relatively calm aspect of the whole shebang. But then...at 7:00, my father switched the TV to Jeopardy, which during my childhood was an ultra competitive sport, inspiring much enthusiastic participation, yelling of answers, good-natured arguing, and frankly, nerdy trash talking. Well, I'm happy to report that nothing has changed--except perhaps the VOLUME level of the combatants...or, you know, Quiz Show Geeks...whatever...

Add to that the fact that my youngest nephew broke out a Trivial Pursuit-type game (at the same time, mind you--because who wouldn't want more noise and rivalry?) and wrangled my sister and Derek into playing it with him...which can be summed up as just a whole bucketful of pandemonium, y'all. Need proof? My nephew, when unsure of the correct response to one question ("Name of the teenage spy written by author Anthony Horowitz"...Alex Rider, if you're curious), settled for shouting the first thing that apparently popped into his mind, which happened to be...the cartoon character Kim Possible. After that, this became the default wrong answer whenever anyone couldn't come up with a better option.

Image may contain: one or more people, tree, outdoor and natureMeanwhile, my brother at one point was attempting to name a Disney film, but only managed to sputter, "You know, that princess movie! (Oh, that's helpful. Would you care to maybe narrow that down for us, dude?) Bless him, he plowed on with admirable determination, "With...um...Esmerelda? (We'd figured it out by now...but he was on a roll, so we didn't want to interrupt...or honestly...rescue him...) He finally, desperately tried "And the song...'Take away, take away!'" This was accompanied by dramatic, sweeping arm movements to supposedly illustrate his point and spark our memories...of the movie FROZEN. (So close, and yet, sooooooo...NOT...) Yeeeahhh....there was no speaking for at least 5 minutes after that debacle, until my sister and I were able to pick ourselves off the floor, stop howling and clutching our sides, wipe our eyes, and generally get ourselves back together enough to continue.

Whew! It was a wild little get-together, for sure. And then we said our goodbyes and headed to our usual HQ at the home of friends who so graciously allow us to crash there several times a year. There we were able to greet our hosts, settle in for a couple minutes of quieter conversation, and rest up for Day 2 of the Mid Atlantic Invasion...or, um, "holiday visit". Stay tuned for more fa-la-la-ing!

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Navidad '19

So, Merry Christmas! And...um...Happy Boxing Day! Team WestEnders were treated to a lovely interlude of family bonding--I've gotta say, with one kid away at college for most of the year, it really is true that the best gift of all is having everyone together for the holidays. Even if the 16 and 19-year olds sidle up to you on the 24th--interrupting your blissful TV viewing--and pretend to try and wheedle hints out of you about their presents, like they're reliving their elementary school days, or something. And also regardless of the fact that you tell the older son that the festivities will occur at (the very reasonable hour of) 10 a.m., so he gives you a pained expression...and sets an alarm to avoid the unbearable unpleasantness of being woken up by his parents. Oh, and before all of this, of course, came the several-stage annual interrogation to determine what each of the clan might wish to receive for their yuletide gifts. But yeah, they're all great, and I love them dearly (just...after coffee...)! (Also please note that in the Christmas morning photo I demanded, that IS in fact a...CHEESE STICK...behind Derek's ear. I didn't even notice he was eating one when I told him to pose, so he tucked it there for safe keeping. Siiiiighhhhhh. See what I mean about Mom's java juice? Not even joking...)

Each year I try to take their suggestions (which are meager, and hard-won) and add a few educated guesses to the mix. So, Derek's asks included: he'd recently developed a hole in his UofSC hoodie and could use a replacement (that's an easy one--check); he didn't own any UNC gear, and felt it was time to represent the home turf...while prowling the grounds of the OTHER Carolina (amusing, and also simple to achieve--check check); and the customary updated version of the FIFA video game he enjoys playing in his leisure time (done, and done!). Then to add a couple of surprises--even if they're more practical rather than...whimsical...now that he's basically an adult--I threw in a beard trimming ensemble (hey, if he's gonna keep that thing, it might as well be groomed, yeah?) and a silicone mat for cooking in his apartment (which he and Husband had tried to find in Columbia at the beginning of the school year, without success). One carefully selected Ramses t-shirt from his sibling rounded out his haul rather nicely.

Then there's Riley, who tends to be even more challenging, since he usually struggles to come up with any concrete guidance for the Shopping Fairy (just one of my many esteemed titles...one of these days I'm really going to have to demand tiaras for each of these jobs. That'll make it seem soooo much more important...and less like a chore. Right? Eh, one can dream...). A 30-ounce insulated cup for smoothies (Target, breezy), wireless headphones for running (same kind I have, re-order a different color on Amazon, BOOM)...and a home-gym-thingie which, as it turns out, while ordered on the 15th, won't be delivered until the 27th...oy!  My extra, stealthy purchases comprised a fresh Fleet Feet hat (to retire the previous version, which is covered in salty sweat stains and held together with duct tape), a lightweight workout shirt, and a blender for concocting the frothy breakfast drinks he likes to make on weekends. Thus his brother decided to add protein powder as his contribution...which is when I realized that absolutely all of Riley's items fell into the health/fitness category...which is so on-brand, it's actually a wee bit scary.

Next up: Husband, who requested exactly one thing: new frying pans. (I. Am. NOT. Kidding.) You see, in an attempt to get away from Teflon and move toward supposedly safer, more environmentally friendly and less chemical cookware, I'd invested in the ceramic-coated kind, not too long ago. But Husband had somehow managed to gunk up them up, before we knew that the gentler surface also requires special handling, so we needed to start over. (Live and learn? Sure...and this time, read the manuals!) And of course, in what has become a highly anticipated top-secret field trip, the boys and I head to Whole Foods to compile a junk food smorgasbord full of unusual, interesting edibles...such as lamb jerky (I know, right? But it's not for me, so whatevs!), barbeque potato chips (standard), a salty snack mix, and a variety of pretzels that bills itself as "the official pretzels of beer". (Seriously, how could we NOT?) Derek threw in a Gamecocks t-shirt for good measure, and that was that.

Finally, we have yours truly, whose Wish List was also modest. I mean, you'd think it'd be the easiest thing in the whole wide world to obtain a pair of slippers...wouldn't you? Evidently this is not true, when young men are assigned the errand. I learned later that it took an extended trek through Kohl's...in which by their own admission they gave up rather quickly and were distracted instead by some massage chairs that they just had to test out...where they were utterly thwarted until running into a neighbor who, upon hearing their sad plight, offered them a 20% off Bed Bath and Beyond coupon to try their luck in another venue. (Thanks, D! You saved the day!) There the intrepid elves--um "teenagers"--reportedly located the only set of fuzzy footwear they could get their hands on, triumphantly paid for them, and the way they tell it, at least, managed to escape the terrifying Realm of Housewares relatively unscathed. And then bragged repeatedly about how they paid SIX DOLLARS for my...Men's...Size Medium...slippers. I can't even, with these Big. Honking. Gooberheads.

Meanwhile, Husband provided me with the warm socks I wanted, but couldn't resist choosing the Farm to Feet style....which honestly makes sense for me, so no complaints here. He threw in a National Parks guidebook, sure to come in super-handy for future vacation planning. And then we have the phantom packages: the ones Derek and Husband assure me are on their way from points distant, but due to shipping snafus have yet to arrive. So apparently I get to experience some additional suspense...along with an unusually celebratory New Year's. Sparkling cider! Plainly wrapped boxes in the mail! Whoo hoo!

And there you have it: a final cool Yule of the decade with my boys. Tomorrow we're traveling to Maryland to spend quality time with our northern friends and fam. So for now, wishing you and yours peace, love, and joy to finish out 2019!

Monday, December 23, 2019

Mid-December mashup

Oldies but goodies
Lots of wintry shenanigans this week--although thank goodness, none of it involving actual weather! Let's see, we had the solstice (which really just signifies that more daylight is coming--whoo hoo!), the beginning of most of Team WestEnders' holiday break (I have to show up at the office for 4 hours on Monday, no biggie), and of course, the ever-so-festive (and perpetually silly) photo shoot for the annual friends-and-family Merry Everything card.

Speaking of the yearly picture-palooza, back up with me for a moment to Thanksgiving weekend, if you will. I'd gleefully decked the halls on Sunday, faithfully following my mom's tradition as we used to do it in my childhood home. However, one crucial piece of fa la la-ing remained glaringly unfinished...and as dinnertime approached, Husband wearily sighed, gave me what was probably meant to be his best hangdog expression, designed to inspire sympathy, and plaintively asked, "Can we put the tree up next week?" Well...while I do understand and even empathize with being tired at the end of a 4-day mini-vacay...the short answer was an unequivocal "Um, sorry, but NO WAY, JOSE--er, "Spouse". I mean, I need to experience the sparkle and glow of a fully bedazzled (faux) evergreen in our living room for the entire month of December, and this just leaves no wiggle room for delaying the magic, my sweet little...elves.

New, fresh, and exciting!
So he grumbled a wee bit, but then rallied and applied himself admirably to the task nonetheless, and fulfilled my pre-Christmas wish...even though he was missing one helper, since Derek had returned early to SC for the big Rivalry Week football game. This left Riley to assist me in placing the baubles, as the final step in the beautification process. As we were lovingly unpacking the box full of special trinkets, my darling son suddenly commented, "I think...we need some new ornaments. Some of these are....a little dated." For a moment, I just gaped at him, unable to believe my ears at this audacious notion. How could you SAY that? Why, just look at this...ooooh, I see. Are you referring to the collection of kitschy snowmen, plastic Santas, and other random, cheap fillers that I most likely purchased before we had enough meaningful tokens to actually cover the branches? Yeah...you may have a point...

While I took the hint and weeded out some of the no-longer-essential placeholders to "retire", he enthusiastically continued, "Hey! Derek and I can go to the Hallmark store and each pick out something! We haven't done that in years!" He's absolutely right...and some of those early selections still adorn our tree, such as the sporty penguins...the soccer net that (when supplied with working batteries, which only happened for the briefest of periods, for obvious reasons) obnoxiously shouts "GOOOOOAAAL" when the ball is thrown into it...and the cheerful locomotives from Riley's precious Thomas the Tank Engine phase.

Oops! Almost...
And since we still had to wait a bit for Derek to finish up his semester and come home, I figured what the heck, why shouldn't I get in on the fun? Thus I upgraded our tiny, almost invisible Harry Potter decoration, and acquired a tasteful UNC addition. (Husband having pointed out that not only have we lived here 5 years, but now I'm even employed by the institution...yet we still somehow lacked anything commemorating either the town or university in our display...a glaring omission which as you can see has been successfully--and attractively--addressed. Whew!) Then, as an unexpected bonus, my massage therapist happened to be giving out adorable handmade crafts...using locally sourced acorns and organic wool, in a perfectly artistic representation of Hippie-town (as my children call it)...otherwise known as Carrboro. Needless to say, it fits in beautifully--at least with MY aesthetic, which is really the only one that counts, right? (Sure, let's go with that...)

Well, I did tell them they could be silly...
Finally, the bros were able to make their sojourn to ye olde card shoppe to peruse this season's offerings and carefully choose one to represent the 2019 noel. Of course, first we had to indulge in some patented ridiculousness by, for example, acting like 4-year olds. "Mom, can I buy the $40 lightsaber one?" "No? How about the...fishing...pants?" Siiiighhhh. Eventually, in a move that surprises absolutely no one, after much consideration, Riley kept coming back to the sleek, shiny gold train that caught his eye early in the proceedings. And Derek? Well, he went with a beloved classic character as you can see: Snow Miser from The Year Without a Santa Claus. (circa 1974. Holy guacamole, who knew it was that old? Ahem...I mean...vintage is cool, yeah? Or...retro! That's it, we're just throwing it back...'cuz that's how we roll...or some such nonsense. Moving on...)

Goofball brothers...
And then--HALLELUJAH--we were able to muster the troops for the campaign that I'm going to hereafter refer to as "for the love of all things holy, can we please just position ourselves (without blocking anyone else), stand still (no last-second twitching), smile (in a reasonably natural fashion), and keep our eyes open (DEREK) long enough for One. Decent. Shot?" I swear, it doesn't seem like that much to ask, especially with offspring who are essentially grown, and yet...every time...it quickly degenerates into a downright farcical situation with me barking (unheeded) orders in an increasingly exasperated tone...until I throw my hands up and declare that "Fine! It'll have to do". What can I say? Unfortunately, it IS my circus, and they ARE my monkeys...ay yi yi...

Anyway...with all of the prep work pretty much done at this point, it feels like we can now relax and enjoy the rest of our holly jolly hiatus. So without further ado, let there be hot chocolate...Disney+ marathons...presents! Yay, yule!! Oh, and of course: wishing everyone a joyful...any and all of the wonderful things you may celebrate!)

Monday, December 16, 2019

December doings

Well hello there, my little reindeer! It's been a while, hasn't it? But in my defense: DECEMBER, amiright? As far as I can tell, I attribute the pace of life lately to a combination of being back in the world of  the employed, plus holiday prep, along with...I don't know, some ineffable slippage of the time/space continuum in the final month of the year that makes it just...whoosh...fly by at the speed of, like...sugar cookies disappearing. (Mmmm...)

So what has Team WestEnders' journey involved to this point? First off, I'd say the past few weeks were characterized by  "taking care of business". For Riley, this included his first shot at the SAT test (and perhaps the only one, if he gets the scores he wants. So let's all keep our fingers crossed, 'kay? Thanks...). Meanwhile, Derek had a week or so of reviewing the semester's material in his classes, followed by his final exams. (First semester of Sophomore year: in the books! And then he got to come home for a month of uninterrupted family bonding time....yaaaayyyyy!) As for me, I've been settling in at the office, meeting new people all the time, learning things every day, and helping out where I can in these early stages.

So yeah, it's been kind of a whirlwind--which is not to say there hasn't been time for some good old fashioned FUN, of course. For example, I participated in the Secret Santa exchange in my department. I quickly realized that it's very well done; you fill out a questionnaire with lots of valuable information about topics such as foods you like/dislike, favorite colors/places to shop, what you enjoy doing in your leisure hours, etc. You turn it in, pick up your own cheat-sheet with someone else's deets, then you use that list to select small treats for Monday-Thursday, and a wrap-up gift on Friday. And lemme tell ya...my sneaky elf was the greatest! I honestly don't know how she did it, but the things she chose for me were so perfect it was almost scary. (Seriously, dark chocolate, coffee and tea, organic skin care, and money to spend at the local co-op? Man, she was just...GOALS!)

Oh, and I also had a blast curating surprises for my buddy as well--Hershey's kisses (#1 snack!); a purple, floral scented candle (fave shade and scent!); cookie mix (loves to bake!); mini makeup items from Ulta (one of her top interests!); and for the grand finale, a Barnes & Noble giftcard, since she mentioned that reading is one of her most treasured ways to spend free time. From my perspective as a first-timer, it definitely felt like a terrific way to promote a spirit of  festivity and camaraderie in the workplace!

Image may contain: 8 people, including Natalie Ziemba and Kelly Partner, people smiling, people standing, shoes and outdoorNext, to counteract all that decadent yumminess, I met up with a group of bootcamp pals to participate in Fleet Feet's inaugural Run Run Rudolph event. It was an untimed route, where the idea was simply to come out, hit the streets with the local fitness community, donate to a couple of worthy causes, and just generally enjoy yourself. Aaannnd...costumes were "encouraged"...so it seemed like an ideal opportunity to indulge in another sparkly running skirt, yeah? (I mean, it's just TWO...so far...so I totally don't have a problem...yet...) And trust me, I fit right in amongst the fancy headbands, yule-themed tights, sweaters, and socks, and Kris Kringle hats. As usual, my gang represented well--in both buoyant enthusiasm and seasonally appropriate, entertaining apparel, as you can clearly see.

Sooooo, that brings us up-to-date, with one week remaining of academics and job-related toil before the whole fam goes on break until the new year...and decade...gulp! On that note, it feels like a lovely opportunity to go sit down and have some tea...or chocolate...and chill for a while. Peace out, peeps!

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Disney Date with Derek

The convoluted tale of how the boys and I saw the original Frozen...on an appropriately frigid day in January of 2014...during a rare miss of a historical field trip to Winchester, VA (whose alleged "battlefield" failed us mightily in terms of both size and sites of interest, I tell ya)...as a desperate Plan B activity to fill time and wring something worthwhile out of the excursion...oh, and with one kid beginning to show signs of illness, which would turn out to be bronchitis, for crying out loud...is nevertheless now a treasured part of WestEnders family lore. As they like to tell it, I "dragged them there" under protest and forced them to sit through a movie about one of their least favorite things on planet Earth: singing princesses.

But don't you believe a word of it, my friends, because the truth is that they LOVED it. How do I know this? Well, Derek to this day can throw random quotes (mostly Olaf's greatest hits) into conversation. Even his college gang found out about his not-so-secret Disney proclivity...and gifted him with a Frozen pinata for his birthday last year. So you can imagine that there was Not. Any. Universe. in which I wasn't going to purchase the preposterous breakfast cereal tie-in for when he came home at Thanksgiving. (Yes, of course I texted him a photo while clutching the box in the aisle at Costco. He wasn't quite as gleeful as I was, but he did appreciate it, nonetheless...)

Needless to say, when the inevitable hysteria started mounting in advance of the hugely anticipated, long awaited sequel, you can bet we jumped right on that glittery, snowflake fueled bandwagon. In fact, I think we began talking about it as early as Summer, when the first short teasers were released. Then during one of our recent Sunday afternoon phone calls, Derek suddenly asked me, in a tone of barely contained enthusiasm, "Do you know what happens in 2 weeks?" Momentarily stumped, I glanced at the calendar and stalled..."Um...you'll be here for the holiday?" Fortunately he bailed me out with the correct answer: Frozen II opens! Oh, yeah--how could I forget? (A brief lapse, I assure you. There will be no need to alert the...I don't know...Mouseketeer Police? And don't even THINK about trying to take away my Honorary Princess card, 'cuz that's just not happening...)

Now, there's a bit of a...minor dispute...about what transpired next. You see, the way I recall the conversation, Derek said, "You're gonna wait until I get home to see it, right?" I assured him that was the plan. I even graciously agreed--given that he naturally wanted to spend time with his neighborhood buddies, and also would be going back to Columbia early for the big football game--that we might have to wait until the end of the semester when he'd be home for several weeks, rather than attempting to cram it in over TG.

And so, I prepared myself to (impatiently) hold out until I could share the experience with my precious child...you can guess where this is going, hmm? I received a text on 11/23 (that would be "the day after it premiered") that read "The lads and I pulled up to the 10:30 primetime showing of Frozen. I feel bad, so I'm ok with seeing it over break if you want." I...I just...let's say I was..."miffed" and leave it at that. I thought it best in this instance NOT to reply, so I maintained radio silence (and stewed), and would you believe he had the sheer nerve to add, at 1:31 a.m. "Great movie btw". Grrrr! He was definitely holding the position of least favorite son at that moment (which is really saying something, in a pool of only 2).

By the time he strolled through the door on Sunday night, though, he'd been forgiven. I told him I understand that if his whole posse decides to do something together, he can't very well be the one that bows out because "he promised his Mom". Besides, now that he was back in town, we were able to hash out the details of our own agenda...buy our tickets...and get ready for the magic (again, for some of us, but whatever)! It turned out that the best day for us would be Friday...also known as "the most chaotic shopping day of the year"...AND our preferred theater happens to be at a mall...what could possibly go wrong?

This called for a carefully constructed, strategic course of action, so I went ahead and reserved the passes online to avoid any box office madness, and we settled on a departure time that would allow us plenty of leeway for traffic and...whatnot. Part of me felt like our behavior might be a bit...paranoid, or at least dramatic...and we were probably overreacting, blah blah blah. But ay ay yi, it was a dang good thing we thought this through, because simply navigating the parking lot ended up being like how I imagine the 9th Circle of Hell--with minivans. Piloted by drivers weaving erratically, stopping unexpectedly, and crawling up and down the rows seeking nonexistent empty spots. Every single space was occupied, but thank heavens for the bankrupt Sears Auto Shop at the far end of the property, which afforded a few extra, precious yards of crumbling asphalt for those of us lucky--and early--enough to snag some.

Image may contain: 1 person, eyeglassesAfter that--and the subsequent HIKE from our vehicle to the theater--it was fortuitous smooth sailing all the way. We cruised through the entrance, the snack line, the preemptive restroom break, and into our pre-selected assigned chairs...which incidentally include "recline", "footrest"...and even "seat warmer" at the push of a button! (Hey, it's a flick that features lots of ICE, so why not counteract that by toasting the tushie? Ha!) And then...we were transported to Arendelle, swept away with Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven once more. No spoilers, but the music was stunning, the story amazing, the animation gorgeous, and the whole package added up to yet another enchanting Disney triumph. In short: four very passionate thumbs-up from the WestEnders contingent.

On top of that, it was a delightful interlude of Mother/Son bonding before Derek had to hit the road. And when you think about it, we didn't have to suffer through Winchester for our entertainment payoff...no one came down with a nasty ailment...we survived a retail center during holiday pandemonium...and WARM. BUTTS. Absolutely no doubt about it, this was a W-I-N! (And really, go catch the film; it's awesome. Heck, if you let me know, I'd totally tag along and see it again! I'll even try to sing only under my breath....but I make no promises. Consider yourself warned...)