Valentine’s day always makes my brain jump to St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Not that I am totally evil, it is just how my brain processes things.

And apparently Saint Valentine wasn’t one specific person but many summed up as : “… whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God.”… which means they needed to fill in a hole in the roster. Way to go Catholics!! And now it is just a big commercialized holiday, like many of the others that I love / loathe respectfully. Like Halloween, and Christmas. *shrug* All I know is the world is covered in pink, couples are fighting because there is all this pressure on them to have the MOST ROMANTIC DAY EVA (which never ends well) and single people are all grumbly. Well, except for me. I am reveling in my singleness. Honest.

So, I have been watching Californication. (I know I know, I am like so behind. sue me) The first disk of the first season has been watched… and wow, there are a lot of boobs on that show. I sort of like the character David plays, because I understand the unwavering obsessed writer thing he has going on. But, um. the whole Dani character being a ’slave’ to her over weight bald boss? Not fucking buying it. At all. That Dani is meh to look at is nice, but her voice… that is what makes her SMOKING hot; does that make me a perv? It might. But I digress. If she’s a SG then I am a saint. Two tats and a couple piercings a SG do not make. *cough* not that I know anything about the SG, or their website *cough* But hey, clearly the writers thought, what would be so salaciously hot? I know, a hot young girl screwing her boss… so not reality. Then again *shrug* they may be going for the easy cliche by saying it’s a clicheand just rolling with it. I’ll see how I feel about this show once we get another disk under my belt. So for now I am undeclared. As Kahlan says, we’re not impressed.

I will be tinkering away today, and maybe will get out of the house for a little while. Then again, I know how I tend to lose time when I am tinkering, and then there are a few TV shows I need to catch up on. In keeping with the theme that amanda is a dirty old lady I need to be watching the latest episode of Caprica, and I think I am behind by 3 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy. Then again, I only watch Grey’s to see Dr. Arizona. Makes me want to find this mythical hospital in Seattle. Yes, yes it does. Later tonight is LoTs. I hope everything goes well… I am still worried about my lil Cara going evil… so I am avoiding all the spoilers and blogs for now. Withdrawals! *tear*

Okay, back to my two favorite slayers. yay!

Buffy: Oh, Valentine’s Day is just a cheap gimmick to sell cards and chocolate.
Amy: Bad breakup, huh?
Buffy: Believe me when I say “uh-huh.”

The year in review. 2009 brought things back around, and sort of solidified the status quo in a way that made me understand that the status quo isn’t a bad word or thing. It’s the way things are sometimes, and there are those times when it is okay for them to be that way. In fact it is at times better than good. Having things make sense and be as they are.

I am single; which is pretty awesome. I like this phase in my life where I can focus on me, and what I want out of life. After the ups and downs, twists and turns, it is nice to take a deep breath and know that each day is for me.
Living in a new town; which I never thought I would live here, but I actually really enjoy it. Surprisingly it has that small town feel, with all the goodies that suburbia offers.
New view; as in from my window, which gives the world a different color to it. I am very thankful to live in the situation I am living in, being roommate to my best friend and having some security that I hadn’t known in a really long time.
Working; the same job, and in 2009 I passed the 10 year mark. And while there was no party, fan fair or recognition, I felt the passing of the anniversary and I was proud of myself. Proud for sticking it out, and proud of the job that I do.
Creativity; it sort of abandoned me for a while. It came in annoying spurts of grandiose ideas, and then when the time came to put pen to paper, it flitted away like melting snow. But now it is coming back. And I feel whole. Like I am doing something, creating something. Putting something on a white page, filling it, and sure, I am not expecting it to change the world, or it to inspire the masses. I wouldn’t want that. It is giving me a place to explore, and that completely and succinctly is enough.
Family; I have some to many realizations this year, the biggest being that while you share this obligatory blood with your family that does not mean for a moment that you are required to be their door mat. You don’t have to bend to their will simple because they are ‘family’. Instead you can look at the situation as you would normally look at any other. Would you stay in a friendship that was one sided? Would you continue a relationship where you felt continuously like you didn’t measure up and were an after thought? The answer, of course, is no. So why would anyone keep at it for the sake of ‘family’? I realised that one shouldn’t. And I am that one. And so now I don’t. I won’t allow someone else’s guilt to dictate my actions. Life is give and take, and the blood family who takes, will find I am no longer there to bleed for them. My friends are my family, and they understand the premise, that life is a sharing experience.
And, not sure what header this should be under. But I was really really hesitant to commit to a new dog this year. The past wounds and heartfelt sadness over what had happened in the past, where I felt cornered and forced to give up my little man, my bestest friend, and really the mini soul mate I had still weighed on me. To the point where I would just cry like a baby recalling how difficult it was when I had to hand over Diego’s leash to someone else and walk away. So the thought of going through that over again really affected me. To the point where I agreed to getting another dog, another Chow even, but I was aloof and distant. The whole cycle of fearing the pain that would come if I bounded too much with this new personality. And yet, time etched away at my resolve, and I am becoming closer to the new little man in my life. I do adore him, and I think it is easier because he is nothing like Diego was; Theo is with out a doubt his very own personality. And his little old man face is working it’s way into my heart, and given time I may bond with him too. What has changed is that I am no longer afraid of that happening.

2009 was a year of discoveries as well. Viral videos, television shows, books, and movies. All the things that are the colored sprinkles on top of my life, and they were here in abundance. Which I feel blessed about.

I, for one, am so glad the 2000’s are over. There were so many sad moments, growing moments, and it was just sort of a dark time. For me, for the US, for the world. I think we are all looking forward to the promise of a new day. Let us hope that we all also remember that we help to shape that new day. It just doesn’t come to us perfect. We need to love ourselves, and each other. The only promise of tomorrow was something from a book I read a long long time ago.

“Tomorrow is fresh, with no mistakes in it.”

Let’s keep it that way. I know I am.

Happy New Year!

Packages have been opened, puppies all fed, and now the humans are returning to their beds.

Wishing you all a very     Merry Christmas!!!

It is either hormones or I simply over did it on the whole Christmas music thing, because I am banging my gong of Grinch-dom at the moment. I am on a short leash at current. It is probably having to do with a multitude of things, like how COMPANY X does this funny thing every year at this time, they freak the F out and want everything fixed now, and they think everything is going wrong… and this is merely because they go on a company wide vacation starting next week, and they doddle for months on things, and so it is my fault things are as they are. To which I say, oh no it ain’t bitches. Your stress is not my stress, and thus when you send me ten emails all before 630am about some asinine issue, I will instead play games on Facebook before responding to you. So suck that. Plus games area a nice way to wake up before dealing with them, and well, now that I am mandatory 8 hour day ONLY. (FTW) I don’t start until 7am. So there. *two finger salute* Bring on the Industrial Music Bitches!!!!

Something else arbitrary, I like the McCafe mocha and Caramel lattes. I didn’t want to. Honest I didn’t. But I thought I would try them, and they are good, and hell in a hand basket, as my income has taken a nose dive (see the above 8 hours a day only thing) spending 5 bucks on a cappuccino just isn’t going to happen often any more. but 2.50? Sure! So I am one of THOSE people now. Great. Pass the party favors. Hazzah (all said in that dead panned way)

I have no clue what is on TV tonight, or what I am watching. The days, well face it, weeks with the new addition to my life has made things a blur, and made me sort of brain numb. Along with me popping Extra Strength Tylenol now like it is TicTacs. things are as they are. I may talk more about this later, but for now, something I will rarely ever do! A pic of me, and the new addition.

His name should be Son of Sam. He is evil 98% of the time. Cute the other 2%. No. His name is not Son of Sam, or Daemon. But we thought about it.

Oh look. Time to take him out again… go figure.

Wow, over a week since I posted last! Wowzers indeed. Things have been uber busy, as they always are this time of year. From last minute work requests, to attempting to get into the local Target for some much needed shopping, to going to classes, and to attempting to keep a clean house. Shew. I need a vacation or something. But as I know all to well, vacations generally mean you need another vacation from your vacation. It is a slippery slope.

Luckily it is warmer now, not in the teens as it was all last week. It is a balmy 41 degrees right now, which hello, awesome! On Sunday we got the first snow of the season, and while it didn’t stick at all here, it was nice to see, and added to the festive air. I am all about Christmas as of late. All Christmas music all the time. The lights on the (artificial) tree, and planning on baking up a storm in the next day or so. Yay! There is something wonderful, magically about this time of year. Even when people are all bah humbug as they drive like insane people and grumble in the long lines at the stores. I still bounce along, happy as a clam. Or a yam. Something like that.

I am SO very behind in some of my Internet duties! Egads! With luck I will get some of it done on my lunch break today.

In TV news. Did you see the adorable ‘Prep and Landing’ ‘Yes, Virginia’ out there too if you missed it. I can’t find it right now, but look for it and see it. I love Christmas specials that have the true meaning of the holidays all bundled up in an entertaining way. Kudos to the networks for getting it right this year.

Did you watch Zooey on Bones last week? You should have. She was so dry, dead panned, and I think hilarious in her portrayal of the cousin. Good TV. Cam was amazing! I was crying like a little baby the whole time. Where she was all about the Holidays for her adoptive(ish) daughter and then the daughter wanted to leave for Christmas with Friends, and Cam was all ‘Okay’ and all sad about it, and then THEN she was all ‘No! You can’t go. There is no Christmas without you.”  Sobs! So good. I sometimes love that show.

And even better TV? Dollhouse! While the first hour was meh (had Corporate Editing written all over it) The second hour with Alpha was A-Typical Joss goodness! Oh it was delightful. While I need to watch it again, because there were about 50 interruptions when I was watching, I twas good. Yay! And the next episodes look even cooler. Score!

That is all for now. Back to the stone of grinding.

What’s For Dinner?

Braised Chicken, with mashed potatoes and gravy. I LOVE LOVE LOVE winter time, and being able to cook in the oven again.