do over

i guess i don't hate christmas in and of itself.  i should restate.  i hate christmas shopping, christmas lists, christmas presents, christmas in stores before halloween, christmas traditions that have no purpose, christmas candy, christmas stress...

thanksgiving came and went in the blink of an eye as it always seems to do.  but this year i didn't bake a bird.  i didn't spend hours running around the kitchen trying to make sure there was something to eat when people arrived.  it was pretty sad.  it was mucho fun to see so much family that we hadn't seen in such a long time.  but i sure missed having the party at my house.  it has become our tradition.

last night we met up with friends to tour the holiday lights at temple square.  and man was it COLD!!  (not according to everyone, just me, of course)  i can't remember the last time i braved the cold for something.  there's something different about christmas this year for me.  as i walked through temple square looking at all the different nativities, hearing the music, seeing the lights...i wasn't dreading dec 25 as i usually do.  it was definitely a comforting feeling.

gobble gobble

I HATE CHRISTMAS!!!

ok. good. i got that off my chest. i feel much better now.

home sweet home

every day i drove to or from the boys' school in montgomery, i would pass this:

 

when i first saw this place i thought it was just something someone had abandoned.  but then every once in a while i would see a truck parked on the side of it and there is a barking dog that can be seen on the north side of the structure.  so we started assuming someone lived there.

i've been so frustrated with our temporary situation.  it really stinks to throw clothes into drawers or hang them up in a closet, not knowing when they'll have to just be put back in a bag again.  and it's such a bummer not know where we'll be in a month.   but then i pulled these pics off my memory card and had to remind myself that at least we have a warm place to sleep each night.  we have a front door that locks and no barking dog outside.  we have grocery stores and gas stations nearby.  so i suppose wherever you hang your clothes, you can make a home.

montgomery for good

i'm horrible at goodbyes.  i do have to say that it's much easier to be the one leaving than to be the one being left behind.  even with that said, the past 2 days have been tough.  leaving montgomery was a breeze.  leaving the people we met...not so much.  i completely embarrassed the yahoos at our last crossfit class by acting like a big gigantic cry baby in front of the trainers.  it's not just leaving my crossfit family.  but it's knowing that there will be no new crossfit family for awhile.  not that i can't crossfit.  just that everything will be so temporary for the next few months or more.  no real home. no real ward. no real crossfit gym. no real school.  no real desire to meet or talk to or interact with people.

anyway, many apologies if you didn't get a goodbye, or if i was grumpy when you came to help, or if i ignored your phone calls, or if i didn't act like i would miss you.  no worries.  i cried while you weren't looking.  and because i lack the communication skills to tell you how i feel, i have this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzrGFQysfYU

three blues in a crowd

about a week after we returned from kauai/dallas, we took off again to chicago for a medical conference.  i had all this shopping planned, but i was too cold to leave the warm kimpton room.  we did venture out to dinner at whole foods with some half-off blue man tickets.  i've seen it twice before, but still love it.

if you give a marz a parrot...

marz: if i had a bird i wouldn't cut its wings off. that's mean.
me: well, they don't cut the wings off.  they just cut them shorter so they can't fly away.

marz: yeah that's mean. just put it in a cage.
me: but what if you take it out of the cage to pet it and it flies away.

marz: well then i'd just let it go. it would come back when it wants.
me: what if it doesn't?

marz: that's ok. [pause] i want a bird that talks.
me: you mean margalo? [they had just watched stuart little 2]

marz: no. like a real bird that can talk.
me: oh. a parrot?
marz: yeah, a parrot.