Just sayin' ...

The above statement is on my desk calendar for January 2011.

So daring even I can't believe I'm doing it??? 

I think I'll try losing weight!

It's a thought ...

Just sayin' ...

It's that time ...

Everyone has their favourite Christmas movie(s) to watch and mine is Christmas Vacation!

Not to take away from Charlie Brown's Christmas which is the holy grail of all Christmas viewing, but Christmas Vacation makes me laugh every year at the same corny slapstick comedy.

Lyrics to "Christmas Vacation"

It's that time, Christmas time is here

Everybody knows there's not a better time of year
Hear that sleigh, Santa's on his way
Hip, Hip Hooray, for Christmas Vacation

 Gotta a ton of stuff to celebrate

(jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
Now it's getting closer I can't wait
(jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)
Gonna make this holiday as perfect as can be
Just wait and see this Christmas Vacation

This old house, sure is looking good
Got ourselves the finest snowman in the neighbourhood
Ain't it fun, always on the run
That's how it’s done on Christmas Vacation

Lets all deck the halls and light the lights
(jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
Get a toasty fire burning bright
(jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)
Give St Nick the warmest welcome that he's ever had
We're so glad it Christmas Vacation

And when the nights are peaceful and serene
We can cuddle up and do our Christmas dreaming
(jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
(jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)

Peace and joy and love are everywhere

(jing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-ling)
You can feel the magic in the air
(jang-a-lang-a-lang-a-lang-lang)

Let the spirit of the season carry us away
Hip, Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation

    Fa-la-la-la-la and ho ho ho

jingle, jangle, jingle as we go

Let the spirit of the season carry us away

Hip, Hip Hooray for Christmas Vacation

(artwork by Susan Branch and Mary Engelbreit)

I know the "young ones" think Will Farrell and such actors are funny - they don't know funny if you compare them to Chevy Chase, Dan Ackroyd, Eugene Levy and that era of comeday. Now, those guys are funny!

And visions of candy danced ...

If you get a chance to go to the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, this is what you'll see!

This archway, decorated almost entirely of candy is at the entrance to the lounge.

 And this is the gingerbread tree at the entrance to the restaurant

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Just sayin' ... Merry Christmas!

I'm not buying into the politically correct Happy Holidays stuff.  It's Christmas!

This week there is no one out there buying presents for Ramadan or Hanukkah - they're buying Christmas (or other) presents.

Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, this entire country is getting a day off for Christmas (yes, that's a political hot potato best saved for another rant).

So, you non-celebraters of Christmas, suck it up and deal!  When you don't get a free day off, then whinge; not before!

Just sayin' ...  Merry Christmas!

Just sayin' ...

One of the things that we chicks have to deal with is hair removal from our legs.

Why we ever started this practice is beyond my imagination but it is what it is and who am I to change an historical rite of passage.

Now, if you're a kinda busy person (as I am) and you don't have that extra 10 minutes to do it  EVERY morning, sometimes it ends up just growing .... for a couple of days ... maybe even longer.

And then there is the very occasional time when maybe it's a week before you get to it.

But when you can't sleep at night because your legs are scratchy from those nasty spikes poking the other leg, something needs to be done.

BUT ...

When they get that long they actually hold up your tights!

Yes, those spikes do serve a useful purpose.  It's so lovely to not have to be close to a restroom when you are, say, shopping.

Sadly, when the spikes are holding up your tights, you'd better be doing some grooming.

Back to tights sliding down one's legs.

Just sayin' ...

Twinkle, twinkle ...

Last night the Squeeze and I went to the Festival of Lights at Van Dusen Gardens

 Entering ...

 These pictures do not - of course - do the experience justice ...

 Reflecting water ..

 These flowers are made with recycled water bottles ...

 There wre hundreds of them all over the Gardens ...

 These are taken around the pond area.  They have a show called Dancing Lights and the version we saw was to Carol of the Bells (the Squeeze's favourite Christmas song) ...

 This is in the garden area which the restaurant overlooks ...

We found him in the Gingerbread Woods.  Is he the Abominable Snowman?  The Abominable Cedar-Man? Sasquatch?

The Squeeze was happy once he had his hot chocolate, smokie and YES, mini-donuts!

All worth going to see - cost is $13/adult and, if you want it, the price of food.

My Imelda heart soars ...

Early in the fall I blogged about boots.  Every girl loves boots!  I HAD never been able to find a pair that fit around these muscular, rock-hard calves.

But there was, every so often, a pair of boots - they just didn't fit the criteria I had for boots ...

UNTIL ...

They are egg-zak-lee what I have always wanted.

(P.S. - my calves aren't actually as big as the top of the boot is round, I have the zipper undone.)

Now I just have to wear them in the house for a year or two to break them in and get them to fit to the point where I don't actually have to tuck my calves in to do up the zippers.

Sigh, who says you can have it all?

These are a few of my favourite things ...

(art work by Susan Branch)

 My lovely niece Brigadoon is coming home for Christmas this week!

 Hours and hours of watching Charlie Brown's Christmas!

 Boxes, bows, ribbons and bling!

 Decorating the digs!

 The anticipated red cup!

 Cranberry Bliss - I had my first one this year - what took me so long!

The view from our condo in the morning

(artwork by Susan Branch)

The little tree on my desk (I do something different every year)!

- some of the buses actually have glitter in the floor paint! -

- the Christmas hair cut and colour (always a good day)! -

- the constant changing weather -

- the smell of Christmas baking -

- the first Christmas card -

- Purdy's candy canes (there are none better) -

- saying Merry Christmas because even if it's not PC everyone gets what you mean -

- The Pickle (I'll take this fave any time of the year!) -

Just sayin ...

The only thing I do not like about cold, dry weather is getting sparks every time I touch something!

Maybe if my inner thighs didn't rub together and create so much friction life would be less "snappy".  But then, what would keep me warm on these cold, dry days!

Just sayin ...

Okay, okay, I know I've got to do the changing of the background and everything but just right now am a bit pressed for time.

So, it snowed here over the weekend.  If memory serves, it almost always snows at least once every November here in lotus land.  My most favourite expression when it snows:  It's not my driving I'm worried about, it's the other guy.

Guess what - to someone else, you are the other guy!

Just sayin ...

Bowls of balls ...

Functional or fashionable?

That may well get your attention as any of you who read this know that I am NOT a fashionista!

Last night I test ran the current generation of ©lululemon athletica's Women's Brisk Run Armwarmers.  I emphasize ran as they are also useful for cycling. 

They cover the area of your arm from where your fingers meet your palm almost all the way to the armpit.

The top area of the warmers over your hand have a little pockets of sorts.  The pockets don't close so you wouldn't want to put anything in them that could easily slip out.  My keys (three on the ring) did stay in the entire time.  You may be able to stick your iPod in it.

 They have this lovely little thumb hole feature (it works!)

Unlike the earlier generation (I lost mine at a triathlon), they have a gathered area for bending at the elbow (it works!)

They also have a reflective strip up the entire length on both arm warmers.

They have a break in the glove-to-cuff on the right armwarmer (not left) so you can monitor your watch and other important information.  Mmmm ... I think we've been here before!

A little iPod pocket is at the top of the sleeve on the left armwarmer. I assume it's for an iPod because of the two slits for cords. Not functional at all for either lefties or righties. A couple of songs came on the iPod that were more for stretching and I was unable to forward it to the next song by using the shake feature or manual forward.

If you chose to wear the armwarmers then it must be cooler to cold out; right?

So, logically, you'd be wearing a short- or long-sleeved tee or, say, a running jacket like the Running Room (I am not promoting Running Room garments) sells.

The reflective strip was covered mostly by my short-sleeved tee, leaving the rest of me mightily cold (even after a 40-minute run).  I'd say this feature isn't necessary unless ...

you are wearing this top:

And if it is that kind of weather that sends you into armwarmers and jackets, why oh why would you be wearing a top such as that pictured above.  Surely not to have access to the iPod pocket and show off the reflective strips!

It would be like wearing a coat and having an umbrella while oh so fashionably shod in strappy sandals or summer slides!

I can't even begin to tell you how awkward it was to loop the cord from the slits at the top of my arm under the tee sleeve and into my ears. I tried putting the cord up through the neck of my tee and it just kept looping itself under the girls.

They caused my arms to get way too warm, leaving the rest of me "out in the cold".  Given that it was a cold rainy night there wasn't a hope in heck that I'd be wearing anything like the top above.  I went pretty minimalist as it was.

Having said all that, they (last generation) were great for spring/fall bike riding.  I could take them off when I got warmed up.  I had my pack to store them in:  where could you stores these if you get too warm?  Because if you're wearing the top pictured above (to show off your pretty little fashionable - not functional - armwarmers) you have no place to store anything.

I'll let you decide whether they are worth your $28.  For me they will be used for cycling.

Sittie Uppie...

After an hour running at the beach with about 15 other dawgies and countless swims to get a stick, she just couldn't stay awake ...

 The above is what is called a "sittie uppie" in the Babcock/Rockwell/Saip house