Snooze

I've been working my tail off all week to make sure I get lots of work done because this weekend I'm going to Chicago! This week I was trying to get packed so I'd be all ready to go, but Kitty was having none of it. She just wanted some attention, so she got right in the mix and made sure she got some. Then she curled up to nap on the warm laundry I was folding. Since Murph usually gets all the press around here, I figured I'd go ahead and share these pictures. Have a great weekend, I'm sure I will!

Christmas at My House

The Presents and the shopping and the food are all great fun, but here's what I really love about the holiday. My mom making grilled cheese sandwiches for Christmas Eve Dinner. This is my Dad's family's tradition started when he was a little kid, and they didn't have enough money for anything but chili and grilled cheese sandwiches. Ever since I can remember I've had to wear this (now too small) Santa hat and hand out presents on Christmas morning. Murphy and his new toy. It has six squeakers. It is very, very annoying. Snacking on antipasti all day and sipping mimosas. My first Christmas tree ornament. My favorite Christmas tree ornament.

The ubiquitous made-in-first-grade Christmas tree ornament. The star my dad and I made together before my parents were married. We were huddled up in my old bedroom trying to cut up the tinsel with plastic safety scissors working feverishly to surprise my mom. My stocking. It's big. What can I say, I'm and only child. Kitty hiding under the tree with her Christmas present. Funny story, two days before Christmas when nobody was in the room kitty found her other present (a cat-nip filled scratching post), ripped all the wrapping paper off, and shredded it into a huge red and green mess scattered around the room.

Lazy Days

What did I do this weekend? Absolutely nothing. On Friday I had dinner, and a glass of wine, and watched some TV before crawling into bed with a good book. The Piano Teacher, according to Wikipedia: "Erika (Isabelle Huppert) is a piano professor at a Vienna music conservatory. Although in her late thirties, she lives in an apartment with her overprotective and controlling mother (Annie Girardot). Lonely and alienated, she has an unhealthy love-hate relationship with her mother. She is a first-rate teacher but cruel to her students, even attempting to ruin a talented girl. Behind the prudish façade, she is a sexually repressed woman with a long list of extreme fetishes. Upon meeting Walter (Benoît Magimel), a charming engineering student in his twenties, she becomes obsessed with him. He is also a capable performer and shares in her appreciation for Schumann and Schubert." It won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2004 . I'm only about half way through, but so far it strikes me as interesting, and well written, and kind of erotic, and kind of sad. On Saturday I made breakfast, and played with Murph and my sweet cat. Despite our intentions to go out and mingle, Jill and I mutually, and independent of one another, came to decide that it was a no go. Instead I watched some movies. I watched Evening, which was nice and made me cry. I watched Saved!, which was pretty darn funny and made me like Mandy Moore a little more, and I am ashamed to say I watched Love and Basketball, which made me cringe actually, but not enough to change the channel. This morning I was going to go in to work, and I got dressed, found my keys, packed Murph into the car and headed to campus. Once I got to my building I remembered that although I had my lab keys, my keys to the building were in my lab. So much for good intentions. I ran Murph around the commons for a while and headed home for kickoff. I was great to see the Broncos victorious, and at Arrowhead no less! Jill and I went to meet Sarah for lunch, and then headed back to my place for a few cocktails and another movie, The Reaping. Oh shit, i forgot how Jill reacts to surprises during horror movies. She just reminded me. She's a screamer.

The Highlight of My Week

On the weekend, I worked a bit, but mostly relaxed. And I needed it. I can't believe how much I slept. When I wasn't sleeping I sat outside and read, or turned on the A/C and watched movies. I had a Harry Potterathon and hung out with my buds. Ever since I got the patio furniture, if I can't find my cat I check outside, and lo and behold there she is curled up on the seat. When the A/C is on, Murph and Kitty both hunker down and snooze. My folks came over yesterday, and prior to their arrival I was making my bed. Kitty was sitting in it and wouldn't move, so I began to make the bed over her (usually gets her moving). This time though, I tossed the sheet over her and tucked it in, followed by both a blanket and a coverlet, but she wouldn't budge and didn't for about two hours. Not until I came in with the vacuum. I thought it was funny, and I don't have a lot going on right now, give me a break. My parents brought with them some of the bounty from their garden. Tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, anahiems, jalapenos, kuta suqash and a baby eggplant. The kutas are going to be great on the grill. Those jalapenos will spice up an omelet on Saturday morning. And this is probably the coolest, a Black Beauty, a black bell pepper.

Welcome to my Garden

Last night I spent finishing up HP:HBP so I would be ready to go at midnight tonight for HP:DH! Weee! I'm so excited I actually a little hyper. Murph, Kitty and I chilled out on the patio, and I grilled up some supper. Check out my pretty garden, I have kept these flowers alive for almost a whole week now! Ate lots of tasty blueberries, and a glass of nice cold chardonnay. I don't usually care for chardonnay, but this one wasn't really oak-y, and not too buttery.

Oh Kitty!

Yeah, Kitty love-love-loves Valentines Day Conversation Hearts.

Happy X-mas Part 3

Happy X-mas Part 2