New Year's Eve Toasts

"May you never lie, cheat, or drink.
But if you must lie, lie in each other's arms.
If you must cheat, cheat death.
And if you must drink, drink with all of us
because we love you."

"Love to one, friendship to many, and good will to all."

Happy 2007, everyone!

May the New Year always be better than the old.

Me me me ...

I've read this meme on a few blogs, and while I'm thinking about a serious post I want to write, I'm using this as filler ...


1. The phone rings. Who do you want it to be? Scott, or a family member, or Judi.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart? Absolutely.

3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener? Generally more of a listener - you learn more by listening than by talking. Depending on who I'm with, though, I don't mind talking ...

4. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? Hmmmm. It depends on what I had with me. I love camping, and I'm pretty good at not getting lost, but I'm a city boy.

5. Do you like to ride horses? I remember riding a horse once. I was about 5 years old, they were all tethered to a little wheel-thing and we slowly went around in a circle. Does that count?

I have ridden a camel, though. I didn't like it. I don't think the camel did either.

6. Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Yep. I was a Cub Scout and then a Boy Scout for a couple of years. We used to go to summer camp in Wisconsin for a week. I also went to a Drum Major camp in high school (yep, I was the drum major of my high-school marching band ... )

7. What was your favorite board game as a kid? We played Risk a lot, but I always lost so I didn't really like it. I loved Clue, though.

8. If a sexy person was pursuing you, but you knew he/she was taken what would you do? Not applicable since I'm taken. If I were single, I would lose all respect for them.

9. Are you judgemental? I try not to be, but we all are to an extent.

10. Would you date someone with different religious beliefs? Luckily Scott and I have the same beliefs! I guess it always depends on how the other person accepts your beliefs and how you share them.

11. Are you continuing your education? Constantly, although just in life. I'd love to go back to school or at least take some classes.

12. Do you know how to shoot a gun? I used to, from Boy Scout camp. There's some irony there, I'm sure. But I guess I don't anymore.

13. If your house was on fire, what's the first thing you'd grab? Well, Scott would get out with me, and probably the dogs would be out of the house ahead of us. I know we'd try to save the other animals. But I can't think of any material thing that couldn't be replaced.

14. How often do you read books? I usually read every night when I get into bed. I used to read more when I took the bus to work.

15. Do you think more about the past, present or future? Good question. I'm pretty nostalgic, so I do think about the past, but I don't dwell on it. The present is usually stressful. I guess I think more about the future, since there's always hope involved.

16. What is your favorite children's book? "Oh The Places You'll Go" (Dr. Seuss).

17. How tall are you? 6'2".

18. Where is your ideal house located? I'd have to have more than one. San Francisco, Hawaii, San Diego, Arizona, Chicago, New York and Paris. There's something about each of those places that I'd like to live in. (We said ideal, so there.)

19. Last person you talked to? Scott, when he called me from work this morning.

20. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden? Good Lord ... it was before I moved to Seattle. Probably in college, so that would be about 1989.

21. What are the keys on your keychain for? My car and my house.

22. What did you do last night? Made dinner, watched part of a movie, read a little, went to sleep. Evenings are pretty low-key in our house.

23. Where is your current pain at? My neck, right shoulder, and lower back. The dogs have kept both of us from sleeping well lately.

24. Do you like mustard? Oh my God yes. I love mustard or a mustard-based sauce on almost any type of food. Especially a good grainy Dijon-type. Scott doesn't, though.

25. Do you like your Mom and Dad? They've both passed away. I still love them and like who they were (even if I didn't always like everything about them when they were alive ... )

26. How long does it take you in the shower? Probably about 10 minutes.

27. What movie do you want to see right now? A Mighty Wind. I love that movie for so many reasons.

28. Do you put lotion on your dog or cats? Lotion?!? I don't think they'd let me do that ...

29. What will you do for New Year's? Make a nice dinner, watch a good movie, play some games, and try to stay awake while watching some New Year's Eve show on TV.

30. Do you think The Grudge was scary? YES! I love good scary movies when they're done right. If it relies on blood and gore and violence - absolutely not.

31. Do you own a camera phone? No. Who's idea was that, anyway??

32. What's the first letter of your middle name? J.

33. Who did you vote for on American Idol? I never watched it, except some of the auditions. I'm not a reality TV fan. (Okay, I'm not much of a TV fan, period).

34. How many hours of sleep do you get at night? Usually around 9, since I'm not working right now. I always try for 8.

35. Do you like Care Bears? No. I can't stand cutesy stuff like that.

36. Do you know how to play poker? Vaguely. I always have to be reminded if I do play ... I'm not a big card player.

37. Do you wear your seat belt? Always. And you do too if you're in my car.

38. What do you sleep in? Nada.

39. Anything big ever happen in your hometown? Hmmm ... well, there was the Brown's Chicken Massacre in 1993.

40. Is your tongue pierced? Are you kidding??? No. I don't like piercings, on me or on others.

41. Who is the funniest person you know? Definitely Scott. And Hal.

42. Do you like funny or serious people better? Funny - as long as that's not all there is to them.

43. Did you eat a cookie today? No. We do have a lot of Christmas cookies around, both that I made and that people gave to Scott at work. So, I'm sure I will later.

44. Do you use cuss words in other languages? No. I know some, but English cuss words work just great, thanks.

45. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads? Pay.

46. When was the last time you said "I love you" and meant it? This morning when Scott was leaving for work. Why would you say it if you don't mean it?

47. Is your cell phone usually on Vibrate or ring? Ring, but I don't take it anywhere that it would annoy anyone.

48. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend? Got one, but thanks anyway.

Santa Baby, slip a sable under the tree ...

Scott and I agreed that Christmas is way too commercial ... that rushing around trying to find not only the perfect gifts, but a way to PAY for them, is much too stressful. We wanted to keep a limit on gift-giving, and just spend some time with friends ... drive around and look at Christmas lights ... go downtown and enjoy the whole feeling of the season ...

Well, it KINDA worked.

Scott, working in retail as he does, has been working horrendous hours. Six days a week, 12+ hour days, getting home in time to collapse and eat dinner and go to bed and start all over again seven hours later. But he, as usual, loves loves loves to give gifts. Silly ones, fun ones, and he always surprises me by giving me at least one gift that makes me tear up a bit because I didn't expect it but it's exactly what I'd like to have or somehow means something to me that I don't expect him to realize. Not that he doesn't know what I like, or pay attention to things I admire - but in some way he always surprises me, and that's what he loves. Someday I'll write about the book he gave me one Christmas ... but that's probably a post in itself.

Anyway, in the spirit of the days after Christmas, here are some of the gifts I got from Scott and others, everyone of which I love:

A very cool candleholder and candles from Scott's Mom and brother, to both of us. We love candles (duh - we're gay) and didn't expect or want them to give us anything, but we love it. Right now all of our Christmas decorations are on top of the entertainment center (out of puppy reach), but this will be going up there when we take the decorations down.

Hickory Farms cheese and sausage and mustard box ... mmmm!! My oldest brother and his girlfriend sent this to me. Scott's not big on it, but this reminds me of Christmas and New Year's when I was little. Perfect. I remember the Hickory Farms kiosks in the malls when I was growing up ... true holiday comfort appetizers. I'll probably eat most of it myself on New Year's Eve (healthy, eh?)

DVD versions of 1970's gameshows!!! How fun is that?? Scott and I love having "game night" with friends, although we haven't done one in ages ... this is motivation to have one again, soon! If only there was a "Match Game" so we could fight over who gets to be Brett Sommers ...

Have I mentioned that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the movie "A Christmas Story"? For the most part I love the nostalgia, the perfect idealized depiction of the 1940's when my parents were growing up (I so love that era ... must be why I love Restoration Hardware so much). Scott got me a set of these lights a few years ago, and they've been hanging in the kitchen year-round since then. They went tits-up this year, just before Christmas - so Scott found some on EBay and they arrived yesterday - along with this:

The Leg Lamp Nightlight. We collect seasonal nightlights that we put in the kitchen throughout the year ... I think I'm going to put up a fight before taking this one down.

(BTW - if you haven't seen "A Christmas Story" and don't understand the significance of the Leg Lamp, just let me know - I'm happy to share the joy!).

This was my big surprise gift this year (and the one that I KNOW pushed Scott over the "spending limit"!). I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, especially in the evenings after Scott gets home and I'm getting dinner ready. I've had a small iPod player with speakers sitting on top of the microwave for a while, but it's not the ideal place for it and I have to move it every time I want to open the cabinet above. So he got me one that mounts under the top cabinets, which also plays radio and TV stations. The iPod sucks up into the player so it's out of the way. How cool is this?!? I was a little peeved that he spent the money, but he knew I liked it after seeing it in his store a while ago, and I'll use it every day. It even has a remote with a magnet that I can hang on the refrigerator!

So there ya have it. Santa Scott was very very good to me. I'm still going to push for less spending and more "quality time" for ourselves and giving to others, but it's been more difficult than I imagined with Scott working in retail ... so I think a New Year's resolution is in order to do that year-round. I don't generally believe in resolutions, but what better way to make yourself a better person and help others than to pledge to make it a normal, everyday thing to do than just at the holidays? I feel I've let myself down by not following through well enough during the holidays with the challenge that I gave to others, but I've got big plans for 2007 and beyond, so I'm not going to stress myself about that. This year is going to be good, not every single moment of it, but in the Big Picture. I pledge that this is what Will Be. I hope the same for all of you!

Merry Christmas

Best wishes to all of you for the holiday and a happy, healthy New Year. Even if we don't all celebrate Christmas, we can express and accept the sentiment, which is of peace and love and care and hope for each other. So there is my wish for every single one of us - yes, every single one - throughout the world.
Thanks to Lewis for providing me with the appropriate translations:

Paz (Spanish)

Shantih (Hindi)

Shalom (Hebrew)

Mir (Russian)

Paix (French)

Vrede (Dutch)

Frieden (German)

Heiwa (Japanese)

Pace (Italian)

Irini (Greek)

Paz (Portuguese)

Su Thai Binh (Vietnamese)

Hetep (Egyptian)

Hau (Tahitian)

Fred (Swedish and Norwegian)

Sidi (Tibetan)

Salaam (Arabic)

Peace (For Everyone)

Christmas in Perspective

Every Sunday, I read Post Secret. If you've never seen this site, it is a place where people send in postcards with their deepest secrets, which are displayed (anonymously) on their site. It's amazing, soul-baring, tragic and sometimes funny ... but a true view of humanity and the fact that people all over the place have feelings that we, too, may feel. I gain a new perspective on my life when I read these secrets.



Both of my parents passed away during the fall (my Mom in 1982 and my Dad in 2005), so the holidays are always kind of bittersweet. I wrote in my Thanksgiving post about my family, and how I feel I've lost a link to my past now that both of my parents have passed away. I've become closer to my cousins on my Mom's side, which is a blessing.

My cousin Jo e-mailed me the other night ... my aunt and uncle travelled from Florida up to Chicago for Christmas, and my uncle became ill and was taken to the emergency room. They thought he may have suffered a stroke, or a heart attack ... he had suddenly become disoriented and unsteady. Thankfully, it turns out he has a urinary tract infection (which can cause confusion) and is being treated with antibiotics, and he should be out of the hospital today in time to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with his family.

Things like this are always scary, especially when your family is getting older. But it brought us all together a bit; I talked to both of my brothers, my cousin Jo, and my uncle, and at least one brother called my uncle as well. These phone conversations between us all are rare at best. In an odd way, this was a gift to us all so close to Christmas. I got the chance to tell my family members that I love them, and bond with them all in some small way. I'm taking that thought and feeling and hope for more with me into the New Year.




So this morning, like every Sunday, I looked at Post Secret and read the new postcards. Here is the postcard that prompted me to write this post ... I suddenly don't want any gifts this year that can be wrapped and put under the tree.