Busy Week......and Vacation Time!

This past week I've been busy getting things done and seeing people so I can get up to Caseville for awhile before I start work.

Last Tuesday I finally got over to my daughter-in-law's house. Of course, there had to be a glitch. The battery was dead in my car when I went to start it! So I transferred all the gifts to hubby's car and took his. First time I've been there but it was easy enough to find. I stayed a couple hours and then headed back home before the snow came and hubby could get up to Sears to buy a new battery.

I took Keno to the vet for his annual check-up and he passed with flying colors. But I am so sick of these damn vets charging an arm and a leg for everything. A fecal test use to be around $20 or so. I was charged almost $40 this time!! I'm leaving their poop home next time and check it myself!!...LOL

So I got this 30% off coupon for Kohl's and they are having all these great sales anyway, so I've been shopping there quite a bit buying this and that...getting really good deals with the coupon on top of the sale price. The main thing I've been looking for is a winter purse. OMG, why oh why is it so damn difficult to find a purse that has all the functions I want?? I want a somewhat big purse, with an opening on the outside of the purse to put my car keys, a zipper pocket inside, a pocket inside to put my cell phone, a zipper across the whole top....I don't want all my junk hanging open...and most important of all above all else, A LONG ENOUGH STRAP so I can put it over my shoulder comfortably with my winter coat on. I don't want one of these damn purses with a little handle/strap that I have to carry my purse on the crook of my arm. That reminds me so much of my mother! Plus, we carry so much more in our purses than our mothers did. We have more than just a wallet and a hanky! My arm starts aching when I have it on my arm. I want it over my shoulder with my arms and hands free. Plus, I want one strap..not two..and certainly not those new types where the handles are rounded. They don't hug your shoulder and slip off too easily. So why is that so difficult?? Who the hell designs purses anyway?? Some man probably....then they stick a woman's name on the brand.

I finally decided on a taupe color one that matches my coat. I had to compromise on a few things. Outside smaller zipper pockets are on the side of the purse instead of in front. No zipper across the top, but there is a flap that closes so at least it's closed up. I love the handle though. It's one of those braided types that aren't slippery and don't slip off your shoulder. Not 100% happy with it but I like it and it'll do.

The color looks nice with my knockaround winter coat, but doesn't look so well with my nicer cloth black coat that I will be wearing sometimes to work. So I went to the consignment store and bought a cheaper black one that is simple, smaller, good handle, zipper across the top for work days. I just throw a few basics in for work....wallet, keys, hand cream...and that's about it.

Of course, hubby doesn't understand the need for a new purse. He asks me "what's wrong with the one you're using?" The one I'm using is a small December/Holiday type purse I use temporary. It only holds a handful of my things. So he asks me "well, what's wrong with the blue one you were using before?" Uhhhh, cause it's BLUE and my coat is taupe....doesn't match. I was using the blue one before I had to wear my winter coat....goes with jeans and jean jackets, etc. Now I'm wearing a BROWN COAT! Good Lord....

So now I'm all set to head up to Caseville for a couple weeks. I'll leave tomorrow. I got my jeep loaded with stuff I have to take. I'll be back home by the 31st. And I'll be busy there. I have an Eagles meeting, Bingo on Wednesdays, Saturday nights at the Eagles, a birthday get together at the Eagles, seeing friends, etc.

I am so anxious to get up there and have some relaxation time!

A Good Day for Soup....

Today the snow came...and came...and came. I have been trying to get together with my daughter-in-law since before Christmas so I could give her all the Christmas gifts I have for her and the kids...and yes, even my oldest son who won't talk to me. It's been one thing or another. So today I was going to drive over while my son was in class at the ITT school he is attending..(being paid for by the army, or better known as WE THE TAXPAYERS). They have been back to Michigan since March and I haven't been to their house once yet, so I thought that while he was in class I would drive over, see the house and drop off all the gifts. I really wanted the kids to have their presents under the tree by Christmas morning, but since that didn't happen, then two weeks after Christmas will just have to do....although not quite the same as opening up presents under the magic of a Christmas tree. But I had no control over that.

But today it decided to snow....and I had a limited time limit as to when I needed to be there and be gone before idiot son got home from class...which was shortly after noon. So I get on the road around 10:00 and try and see if I can drive....but they live along ways away and I would have to get on the Expressway to get there. Driving was so-so until I hit North of Eight Mile...I don't think Southfield believes in salting their roads apparently. The roads were worse, slippery and traffic was going at 25 mph....and I hadn't even gotten on the Expressway yet....I had a minimum of a 35 minute drive and that's in good weather. I couldn't risk another accident and another claim to my insurance company, so I decided to turn around and go home. I'll try again next week. Damn, if I wait much longer, I may as well give them their Christmas gifts for NEXT Christmas!

So I came home and decided it was a good day to make a big pot of soup. Besides the ham bone I just put in the freezer from Christmas, I still had another ham bone from a ham I made last Easter....so I decided to use that one. I always keep a lot of extra meat on the bone before I freeze it, so lots for soup later. I got it simmering in my big cast iron dutch oven soup pot with an onion tossed in for awhile...and then threw in some potatoes, carrots, more onion, celery and a small jar of Northern beans, and I also put in a can of cream of Broccoli soup. Later I made a milk-base rue and thickened it somewhat with that. It was so GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!! We had it for dinner with chunks of sliced bread and cheese. It's suppose to snow all weekend so homemade hot steamy soup will be good to eat.
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I'm going to go watch an episode of "Lost". I got Season One and Season 3 for Chrismas. So I'm going to rewatch the series from beginning to end...I just need to buy the other seasons. With DVD's there's NO COMMERICALS!...so it's easy to watch 3 or 4 episodes at once. I'm on episode 9. That is the greatest series on TV EVER! It should have been a movie. I am really enjoying watching it again. A lot of those early seasons I forgot and now that I know how the last season ends, alot of what you see in the first season makes more sense.

Happy New Year!

I know it's been awhile since I posted anything, but I've just been too busy with the holidays....plus, I've been having trouble with my lower back and it's hard to even sit very long at the computer.

We had a great Christmas. Christmas Eve hubby dressed up in his Santa suit and we walked over to a neighbor's house and had drinks and visited for a couple hours. I wore my Santa pants (red velour with white fur on the cuffs) and a red sweater. Very cute, if I do say so myself!

Christmas we spent all day opening up gifts. We probably had about 40 gifts altogether to open. We buy alot of crap for each other...LOL Let's see what did I get? Halle Berry 'Pure Orchid' cologne and lotion set; Breaking Dawn book; potholders and new kitchen towels; LOST, season one; various cocoas, candy and nuts; amythyst stone bracelet; Kid Rock CD; New address book; Journal/notepad; set of various pens; Irish beer; Chardonnay wine; and a few other things I can't remember. so I did pretty good!

Then the day after Christmas I woke up with really bad pains in my back and it just kept getting worse. By Tuesday I could barely walk. I had to use a cane just to try and get up from a chair or even the toilet! So I started taking lots of Motrin and these muscle relaxers my husband had.....and I soaked in a super hot tub of water. Wednesday I was better. Which was good, cause Wednesday the boys came over with their wife and fiance and her daughter.

We did our gift exchanging and had pizza and snacks. After a few rum and cokes my back was feeling even better...LOL. We had a good time.

Last night was New Year's Eve. Hubby and I went out to dinner at a new place that opened up this year just down the street from us. I had the Salmon dinner and he had the Shrimp dinner. Then we ordered Hot Wings to bring home for later. Got home and started watching all the New Year's Eve programs and celebrated at midnight with our dogs.

My back is still not 100%. I'm still taking Motrin for it. Hubby seems to think that the car accident I was in may have brought it on. But I've had this before. Of course, each time something brings it on...this time it may have been the jolt of when that other car slammed into me and spun me sideways. Although it was a couple weeks earlier that it happened before my back started acting up. Who knows.

So now it is officially 2011!! Hope it's a good year. I'll be going back to work next month for tax season. So I hope my back is 100% by then.

Night....