What a pain in the ass it is running around this time of year. Squid has been so good all the way through, making it much more bearable. But still, it is a total nightmare out there. I had to stop by the mall today to pick up a few last minute gifts and practically had an anxiety attack. Why is it that when I am in a rush, I can’t find ANY store I’m looking for? I end up walking up and down the entire mall a few times before I land where I’m meant to be. And, why is it that the directories seem to disappear when I need them most? I really think they take them out during the holidays so people can’t find anything and end up wandering into stores they never meant to visit. Conspiracy, anyone?

These photos are just too cute not to share…

My stepson with his littlest brother!

Squid getting a lick from Joey (right before I interjected, “No!”)

Hangin’ with GG!

It’s nine minutes ’til midnight and I haven’t met my quota! So, I am cheating. I am writing this blog as a filler while I get the real blog ready! (Enter Wicked Witch of the West laugh here.) This way, I’ve got both today and tomorrow taken care of within a matter of minutes…oh, I’m good. Thought you got me down, Holidailies? Think again.

Can I just say how stupid I think Internet Explorer is? For some reason, my posts are all in italics on Explorer….ugh! Anyone who does not have Mozilla Firefox, get it! It’s a free download and it is so much better than Explorer. Oh, and the best part…my site actually looks normal!

So, that’s beef #1. Beef #2 is: Why don’t people put their lights on when it is foggy and/or nearing dusk? I can’t see a car that blends into the asphalt when the sky is gray and there is a blur of white all around. Lights! It’s really not that hard!

Beef #3 is: When did it become okay for strangers to put their hand out as if to touch my baby!? Oh, wait, I just checked…it didn’t! If I don’t know you, you may look only, but you must never, ever, EVER assume you can touch my baby!

Beef #4 is: Those Christmas tree skirts you buy at the drugstore are such a waste of money! Yeah, they’re only $3.99, but hell, I could buy a gingerbread latte for that price! :-) It looks pretty for a minute - that is, until needles actually begin to fall. Once that happens, it is nearly impossible to get clean again. The thing is like a magnet for crap! I’m gonna switch back to using a bed sheet.

So, that’s it (at least, for now!). Thanks for allowing me to vent. This is the cheapest therapy I’ve ever had!

Awesome Mom says I have to complete Ms. Cathy’s Christmas meme, and it’s really a good thing because my brain has turned to mush thinking about what to write tonight. (Remind me never to sign up for Holidailies again. ;-))

1. Hot chocolate or egg nog? Neither. I’m on a diet. But, for the record, hot chocolate with a mountain of whipped cream. Hence, the diet.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa waits like an idiot until Xmas Eve to wrap the presents and ends up getting to bed around two in the morning.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored on both.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. Where do I get that?

5. When do you put your decorations up? The day after Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? My stepmom’s fudge. Is that considered a “dish?” It doesn’t matter, because it’s the best thing in the world. No, really.

7. Favorite holiday memory? Going to Christmas Eve service with my parents.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don’t remember. Probably when I started getting presents totally unrelated to my Xmas List.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, I like to.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? I use a hodge podge of ornaments and lights. NO TINSLE and NO GARLAND. I’m too much of a control freak for that crazy stuff.

11. Snow! Love it or hate it? Love it, but only if I can get warm and cozy afterward.

12. Can you ice skate? Not that great. And, actually, probably not anymore. The last time I did was like 10 years ago, and I pretty much sucked then.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Rainbow Brite bicycle with training wheels, and most recently, the Specialized road bike my husband gave me the first Christmas we spent together.

14. What’s the most important thing? My family and giving them happy memories.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? See #6.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Buying a Christmas tree, decorating and staring at the lights.

17. What tops your tree? A star.

18. Which do you prefer - giving or receiving? I love both equally.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

20. Candy canes, yuck or yum? Yuck. They probably would’ve gotten a Yum vote if they weren’t so damn sticky and didn’t get stuck in my teeth. Yeah, definitely a yuck.

Now that the movie Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has come out, people are starting to challenge the royal significance of the world’s most celebrated gem. Are diamonds really all they’re cracked up to be? Are they as pure as they seem?

Not exactly. A percentage of the stones, known as conflict diamonds, have been the cause of brutal civil wars in Africa, accountable for an estimated 3.7 million lives since the 1990’s. Of course, not all diamonds bear the disgraceful title of a blood diamond; though many have, in fact, funded wars in which innocent people (including children) have been murdered, gruesomely dismembered and mutilated.

In a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle, Elisa Camahort of BlogHer explained how she had shopped around for her engagement ring until she and her fiancè were able to find a “conflict-free” diamond. (Whereas these rings do not guarantee conflict-free marriages, you won’t feel bad wearing something that means so much if you know it came from a safe, “clean” background.)

I don’t know the origin of my engagement ring; I don’t know the history of its diamond or for that matter, the history of its gold. I’d like to think it is not a conflict diamond, but how can I be sure? Carson Glover, the spokesman for the World Diamond Council says, “If you go to a reputable jeweler, you can be assured you are getting a conflict-free diamond.” But, why wouldn’t he say that? That is the perfect, PR response to the backlash the diamond industry is facing due to the popularity of Hollywood’s newest, sharply political film.

How do I know that statement is true? Furthermore, how can we really be sure of anything we own? We’ve all heard, read and gossiped about which companies use sweatshops, which companies perpetuate slave labor…how do we ever know for sure if the things we buy aren’t products of corruption and violence?

The most exciting thing happened today! Squid, for the very first time ever, stood up! One second he was on his knees, taking a look out the window, and the next, he was up on his two tiniest little feet! Now, I know what you are thinking. You should have gotten it on camera! Well, don’t you fret. I am not as disorganized as one may think.

Here’s #1:

And #2:

…I’m not actually human. I am, however, a tree!

You Are a Tree

You love every part of the holidays, down to the candy canes and stockings. And you’re goofy enough to put a Christmas tree ornament on your tree!