See you next year!

Sorry to say, this will be my last post this year. (haha) I'm really hoping 2008 will be the year. So far, I have Cindy's wedding to look forward to. Yep, that's about it. I think I'd like to take a trip somewhere. I've never been to Vegas, so that's always an idea. I've been working A LOT the last couple of weeks and I'm heading in to work today to relieve someone who has New Years's Eve plans. I also picked up the 1st to work as well. (overtime baby). This is my own fault... there are plenty of offers out there, but I'm just not interested in anything or anyone right now. Boo me!! Here's to a much better 2008!

Big Losers, Clogs, Tigers and Jane. Oh my.

Signs appeared all over the hospital yesterday that said "Biggest Loser" on it. Starting Jan. 1st, the hospital is starting a weight loss competition, for 16 weeks (?) I think... that's enough time for people to lose weight, right? It costs $20 to enter and you have to weigh-in weekly. They will do your BMI and a few other things as well. I've never joined those things because I would only have to lose 10 lbs while other's goals were to lose 50. I'd never win! I'm going to join anyway... and lose 10 lbs, which would put me at

114. I know I won't win, but it'll be fun trying to shed weight with an entire hospital. I told a few co-workers I was joining and they (like a choir in sync) said... "what??? you?". I was told I have some twisted body image problem... whatever, my clothes are getting a wee tight.

My new sonja Dansko shoes came today right before I left for work. I checked the front porch three times that morning, but nothing. I had my keys in my hands as I was heading through the garage and thought I should look ONE more time. There sat the Nordstrom box. Yay!! I get to wear ma' new shoes to work. I've been wearing nursing clogs for the last 7-8 years instead of sneakers to work. When I first started wearing them, I think I was 1 out of 100 in the entire hospital that wore them... as I look around work today (different hospital, state,job....) I am probably 1 out of 5. Dansko is like the best shoemaker ever... so if you're on your feet a lot.. check 'em out. (they're all handmade, supposedly).

I thought I might travel to Miami this weekend and visit the zoo (like I so love to do) but then decided not to after I signed online this morning and saw the "Tiger mauls 3 at San Francisco zoo, 1 dead" .. not that I thought I would get mauled by a tiger in Miami, but maybe it was just a sign not to go, for whatever reason. Coincidentally, the Siberian tigers are the first exhibit you come to when you enter the Miami zoo. When you first approach the tigers, it's kind of scary because it looks like there is nothing separating you from them.. but as you get closer you see there is a moat with steep wall barriers. I often wondered if they could jump the moat if given a running start. When I read the article this morning I thought for sure they had jumped the moat... but now after reading other articles, I'm not so sure. Jack Hannah said it's "almost impossible" for a 300 lb zoo tiger to do this even with a running start... hmmmmm. There is speculution that someone opened the cage for them. Wouldn't it still be open after the maulings? I doubt the person that may have opened the cage stuck around to close it right after the tiger got out.. were those boys taunting the tiger? So many questions.

The GPS in my car is a bit bi-polar. I swear she's nice sometimes and then out of the blue she goes completely whacko and yells at me to "TURN AROUND and get back on the motorway" She says motorway because I chose a British person to tell me what to do in my car. She didn't say it nicely... she YELLED at me. I turned off the road and into a Walgreens parking lot and was scolded by Jane, the british mapreader. Shut yer pie hole Jane... what's even more crazy? I responded to her yelling at me by explaining to her that I needed something from Walgreens and to chill out...

Christmas Shopping

I was watching the news while getting ready for work this morning. I was ironing a pair of red scrubs (Christmasy) and listening actually, to the reports of traffic, weather and Christmas shopping.

What caught my attention was two newscasters talking about the slump in holiday sales (once again) this year.

The MALE newscaster (I would have expected this more from the blonde female newscaster) said:

"Retailers are definitely feeling the penny pinching of the consumer, BUT, not to worry. This is a giftcard giving society now... so retailers can hope that business will BOOM after Christmas with the sales they had hoped for.. so technically, Christmas shopping season actually goes to mid-January"

The blonde just agreed with him.

Wait. What?!

You walk into a store. You purchase a giftcard, let's say Bed Bath and Beyond, wouldn't that reflect in their sales report for that DAY?? Not when you cash it in... right? Who cares when you use it... it's already paid for. Are they hoping that you walk into the store on December 27th with your $100 gift card and spend $500?

So how will sales "boom" after the holiday?

Someone. Anyone...

Can you 'splain this to me?

Christmas Tequila Cake

Tequila Christmas Cake

Ingredients: 1 cup of water 1 tsp baking soda

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup of brown sugar

Lemon juice

4 large eggs

Nuts

1 bottle tequila

2 cups of dried fruit

Sample the tequila to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the tequila again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the tequila is still OK. Try another cup... just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl andchuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the fruit up off floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the lequita to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Check the tequila. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fallover. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl throughthe window. Finish the tequila and wipe counter with the cat.

CHERRY MISTMAS!

That's Amore! No it's not... but they sang it.

One of my favorite places to hang out in Orlando is the Portofino Bay resort at Universal Studios. I love that place for so many reasons, but mostly for the ambiance and musica. When a friend told me a couple of weeks ago that his company's Christmas party would be at Portofino's "Mama Della's Ristorante", I couldn't say no when he asked if I would accompany him! I don't usually like to attend events where I don't know anyone (well, I would know one person) especially company functions because the conversation almost always focuses around work.. or work related topics that I have no clue about, so it's kind of boring for me. That's exactly how the evening started, but that's not how it ended

The people my friend works with are complete nuts, and I love it! The "party" was supposed to start at 7 pm at Mama Dellas... but when we arrived, there was only one other couple sitting in the room. The restaurant was full of people, but we had our own room in the back. Around 10 pm, I think Mama herself was wondering why she ever agreed to letting that group have another Christmas party at her restaurant. They shut the doors on us a couple of times.. and then we were reprimanded by one of the employees (nicely) about the noise level.

Well, when there is free alcohol.. people get out of control. :) Not me though, I behaved.... but I did laugh a lot at everyone else making total fools of themselves. I was a little surprised by a couple of the ladies at my table who appeared to be entering their 60s ..... they ended up being the rowdiest of the crowd... and I so enjoyed it. It feels great to laugh like that.

Mama did stroll around her restorante greeting folks... chatting and hugging. (Mama's a hugger). I enjoyed the strolling trio of Italiano singers... that's always awesome to hear.

If ever in Orlando... you have to try out my hangout at the Portofino. You won't be disappointed.

Workout buddy

As expected, it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. Maybe if they find a way to put a keyboard with internet on ellipticals, I might find more time to blog. One of my co-workers, who also happens to live very near me, has become my workout partner. The fitness center we joined is only 5 miles from my house and just opened a few weeks ago. All of the elipticals, stairclimbers, treadmills and cycles have an lcd screen attached, which seems to keep me on longer than I normally would (since I get bored with something real quick). I like their rapid 24 minute workout on the cardio machines.. although there is nothing rapid about what I'm doing right now. If you constantly have to pull the pins out of a certain weight to put it up to a weight you can actually work with, that is NOT rapid!! I'm trying to figure out if I get more done with her there... or with her not there, since we talk too much. Either way.. I'm glad she's going.. we're having fun!

We get 3 free sessions with a trainer, but haven't used them yet. I wonder if we should do that since we really don't know if what we're doing is *right*. haha. We are going to start taking their Pilates, Step and Body Jam group fitness classes.. ought to be fun. Although one of the trainers, Jason, told me they always laugh watching the people do the Body Jam workouts... uhm. That really makes me want to do it even more. Not.