Movie (16/365)

~*~

Mike and I went to see Les Mis (as the cool kids call it).

I had no expectations as I've never seen the stage production. Mike has not only seen the stage production, but has performed in the stage production twice. We both enjoyed it.

Except the casting of Russel Crowe as Javert. 

*SPOILER* 

Russel Crowe cannot sing.

~*~

Oconomowoc (15/365)

~*~

Mike and I made a quick road-trip north today, making our destination just before sunset.

I looked over at the lake and said, "That would make a great picture for today."

And it did!

~*~

Radar (14/365)

~*~

I've not yet gotten into the habit of purposely taking a photo each day.

That means that sometimes what you'll find here is a photo from my phone that happened to be taken on that day.

This is one of those.

~*~

Coffee (13/365)

~*~

My favorite meal to eat out - by far - is breakfast.

Mike took me to Burnt Toast (a breakfast and lunch only restaurant) this morning before going grocery shopping.

It made one of my least favorite chores a bit better!

~*~

McRib (12/365)

~*~

Mike and I did laundry today, and a trip to the laundromat is often rewarded with a visit to McDonald's during the wash cycle.

Mike had his first McRib of the season.

I am not so brave, but I did have a bite of of his - my first taste of chopped, pressed, pork parts.

I am not a fan.

~*~

Cash (11/365)

~*~

My mom always sends Cam a check for Christmas, which means I have to have him endorse the check over to me, then deposit it in the bank and get cash for him.

It also means I get to STRESS over my 16-year old son having far too much cash at his disposal.

~*~

Tradition (10/365)

~*~

We started a new family tradition this year - Chinese buffet for Christmas dinner.

Actually, the one we went to is a Sushi, Mongolian Grill, Chinese Buffet and was quite busy.

*SIDE NOTE* Cam chastised me for taking pictures of this partition between tables as he was concerned people would think I was secretly trying to take pictures of them.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

~*~

Christmas Eve (9/365)

~*~

Christmas Eve has always been THE BIG celebration for my family.

For some reason, not being a part of that hit me hard this year.

I think there were several factors in this:

• I assumed I would be a part of Mike's family celebration this year (an assumption that I should not have made)
• I felt a tremendous amount of guilt for Cam's lack of ties to my family
• There are several significant life issues hovering over my head right now

My uncle did send me this invitation to the event, including us as much as he could.

I was thrilled to not be forgotten.

I was terribly sad to know I'd be missing out on memories.

~*~

Lights (8/365)

~*~

After much deliberation, I drug Mike to Menard's and picked up the tackiest, 3-1/2 foot tall, metallic, fiber-optic lit tree I could find.

Then I did one of those long exposure, wiggle the camera shots that seem so popular.

The firework setting on my PAS surprised me!

~*~

Snow (7/365)

~*~

I don't know when or if we'll get any more.

I mean, we should get more, but you just never know.

Expect snow photo spam until it melts.

~*~

Coffee Pot (6/365)

~*~

I bought myself a Christmas present.

I was still using the coffee pot I purchased for under $10 when I first moved into the apartment.

Although it was still working, brewing had gotten EXTREMELY slow.

So while I was picking up stocking stuffers, I picked up a new coffee pot too!

~*~

First Snow (5/365)

~*~

It had been 290 days since our last measurable snow.

A new record.

~*~

Ollie (4/365)

~*~

We have an annual Christmas party for the Accounting/IT departments at work. I know - odd combination - but we all sit together.

We do this party Secret Santa style, and in my second year with the company I learned that the person I had drawn had a strange aversion to olives.

What did I do? I included a can of olives with his gift.

That can of olives turned into Ollie - a Christmas legend. This year, I was the recipient of Ollie ... along with a copy of the Ollie legend and instructions ...

Hello!
I am Ollie the forgotten reindeer.
Display me in your cubicle for the year for good luck and good cheer.
However, in 365 days a new owner I will go to stay.
So enjoy your time with me right now and feel free to take a bow.
You're lucky to have me by your side so display me with great pride.


A new tradition has been started with Ollie. Please enjoy your time with him and then pass him on to your Secret Santa recipient next year.
Yours Sincerely,
Santa

~*~ 

Ninja Ginger (3/365)

~*~

One of my co-workers posted on Facebook that she had spent the weekend making Ninja Gingerbread Men.

Another of my co-workers bragged on Facebook about how she secured on of said Ninja Gingerbread Men.

Well, I might be naive at times, but even I figured out that this was prime breeding grounds for a guilt trip.

Which secured me this Ninja Gingerbread Man!

He sat on my desk for a week.

Then I bit his head off.

~*~

Monday's Child (2/365)

~*~

Today was our Secret Santa exchange at work.

We each list three gift ideas within a $15 budget, then draw names.

I got to give a collector's edition of The Hobbit (found a great deal on Amazon).

And I received all THREE of the items I listed - a 2-quart pitcher, a Pyrex 2-cup measuring cup, and a silicone oven mitt.

SCORE!!

~*~

Sunday Sundae (1/365)

~*~

You just never know when you are going to get behind a banana split.

We drove south to visit Chicago Premium Outlets today. We got to follow an ice cream truck from Colonial Cafe (home of the Kitchen Sink).

~*~

There is nothing better

Than a fresh start

Project 365

My rules this time

Bike (41/366)

~*~

It was a weird mix of emotions. One day, your best friend could be killed. The day before, you could be celebrating him getting a brand-new bike.
~ Jay-Z

~*~

Five (40/366)

~*~

One and one is two, and two and two is four, and five will get you ten if you know how to work it.
~ Mae West

With the extremely mild winter we've had this year, the wildlife has been very active when they normally are bedded down for the winter. 

These five were crossing the road as I was leaving work.

~*~

Straw (39/366)

~*~

Men think highly of those who rise rapidly in the world; whereas nothing rises quicker than dust, straw, and feathers.
~ Lord Byron

~*~

Wind (38/366)

~*~

A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache.
~ Catherine the Great

Or in the case of our 1-ply Windsoft bathroom tissue at work, a pain in the ass.

~*~

Mouse (37/366)

~*~

I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - 

that it was all started by a mouse.
~ Walt Disney

Our payroll person has this little mouse sitting just inside her office door

The damn thing scares me every time I walk in!

~*~

Morning Moon (36/366)

~*~

“Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or a secret gate
And though I oft have passed them by
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.”
~ J.R.R. Tolkien

There is nothing better than looking to the east, seeing the sunrise, then looking to the west, catching the moon before it sleeps for the day.

~*~

Diagonal (35/366)

~*~

The line of life is a ragged diagonal between duty and desire.
~ William R. Alger

I tend to gravitate towards macro/still life photography. It makes me happy. But once in a while mother nature gets on her high horse and forces me to do something different.

~*~

Red (34/366)

~*~

Artists can color the sky red because they know it's blue. Those of us who aren't artists must color things the way they really are or people might think we're stupid.
~ Jules Feiffer

Today was National Wear Red Day, an I did!

Heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined.

Take that pink!

~*~

Drill (33/366)

~*~

Happiness is your dentist telling you it won't hurt 

and then having him catch his hand in the drill.
~ Johnny Carson

My apartment didn't come with blinds, curtains, or even drapery rods.

Just over two years after moving in, my bedroom now has real curtains ... hung on a real drapery rod!

~*~

Tracks (32/366)

~*~

When I jumped off, I had a bucket full of thoughts
When I first jumped off, I held that bucket in my hand
Ideas that would take me all around the world
I stood and watched the smoke behind the mountain curl
It took me a long time to get back on the train
~ Back On The Train (Phish)

It's February 1st! I'm rethinking my choice to make these tracks my first of the month photo. They were supposed to be covered in snow this month, giving me a bit of a different view, but nooooo ...

The bright side?

What a mild winter it has been!

~*~

Resume (31/366)

~*~

If you call failures experiments, you can put them in your resume and claim them as achievements.
~ Mason Cooley

It's time to stop treading water and move forward.

Resume overhaul and job search focus.

I love the library.

~*~

Glove (30/366)

~*~

The only way I'm going to win a Gold Glove is with a can of spray paint.
~ Reggie Jackson

A trip to the ER with Mike resulted in purple gloves.

Purple gloves that are NOT in order.

I was tempted to pull off the labels and reorganize them.

Seriously ...

~*~

Light (29/366)

~*~

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

It doesn't shine anymore.

In fact, this light has been sitting in the common area of the apartment complex for at least a year.

I am amazed that no one (including me) has the pride to clean up the trash.

~*~

Caterpillar (28/366)

~*~

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly.
~ R. Buckminster Fuller

Look! It's a snow caterpillar!!

~*~

Pills (27/366)

~*~

We're more effective than birth control pills.
~ Johnny Carson

And then there were magic blue pills ...

~*~

Doctor (26/366)

~*~

The doctor who applied a stethoscope to my heart was not satisfied ... I was medically rejected.
~ C. S. Forester

Then he sent in a nurse to draw with a Sharpie on my butt.

~*~

Jewelry (25/366)

~*~

Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles.
~ Sonja Henie

I seldom wear jewelry, because when I do?

This happens.

~*~

Safe (24/366)

~*~

Music is a safe kind of high.
~ Jimi Hendrix

We have a safe - actually a vault - at work

No, I don't work at a bank

No, there isn't anything in there than needs to be stored in a vault

But every day it gets opened and then locked back up

~*~

Helper (23/366)

~*~

He that struggles with us strengthens our nerves, and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper.
~ Edmund Burke

In our house we need TWO helping hands

And TWO pounds of hamburger

~*~

Icicle (22/366)

~*~

“Honesty is like an icicle; if once it melts that is the end of it”
~ American Proverb

We had our first significant snow ... and melt ... this weekend.

Cavy looks 'mean' with icicles!

~*~

Bigfoot (21/366)

~*~

"Some people say Bigfoot doesn’t exist and maybe he doesn’t, 

but all of these people have seen something and they can’t all be making it up.”
~ Vance Winsor

One of the things I like about snow is that I get a chance to see the bottoms of everyone's shoes.

~*~

Birthday (20/366)

~*~

"A friend never defends a husband who gets his wife an electric skillet for her birthday."
~ Erma Bombeck

No, not mine, but when it is your birthday at my workplace?

Everyone knows because they publish birthdays on the monthly calendar ...

And you are 'required' to bring in your own treats.

~*~

Bird Seed (19/366)

~*~

"I planted some bird seed. A bird came up. Now I don't know what to feed it."
~ Steven Wright

My neighbor is an animal fanatic lover.

In addition to the 2 dogs and 5 cats that live in her apartment, she also feeds the birds and squirrels, and she places the seed right in front of my livingroom window.

I think she's secretly trying to torture my cats.

~*~

Vegetable (18/366)

~*~

An onion can make people cry 

but there's never been a vegetable that can make people laugh.
~ Will Rogers

I've been trying to eat better. Shuddup! It is not a new year's resolution.

I'm just getting old(er) and need to increase my fresh fruit and vegetable intake.

Really!

~*~

Wire (17/366)

~*~

Information is the oxygen of the modern age. It seeps through the walls topped by barbed wire, it wafts across the electrified borders.
~ Ronald Reagan

These wires live in our mail room. I assume they power all of the phones. There are days when I want to do nothing more than rip them out of the wall.

What?

Angry post??

~*~

Cutie (16/366)

~*~

Cutie cutie, make sure you move your booty.
~ Black Eyed Peas

I've seen these a bazillion times in the market, but I'm not very receptive to peeling oranges ... all that white stuff ... UGH!

But this weekend, while shopping with Mike, he assured me that these Cuties were different - sweeter - no seeds - easy to peel.

He was right!

Yum!!

~*~

Squint (15/366)

~*~

Squint your eyes and look closer. I'm not between you and your ambitions. I am a poster girl with no poster. I am thirty-two flavors and then some. And I'm beyond your peripheral vision, so you might want to turn your head. 'Cuz some day you are gonna get hungry, and eat all of the words you just said.
~ Ani Difranco

When all else fails, take a photo of your cat ...

And find a good quote!

~*~

Honey (14/366)

~*~

I think you're running into a lot of trouble if your idea of foreplay is, 'Brace yourself honey, here I come!'
~ Phil McGraw

I was going through the pantry trying to see what I had and came across this honey bear hiding behind some Shake-N-Bake.

~*~

Pine (13/366)

~*~

The pine stays green in winter... wisdom in hardship.
~ Norman Douglas

Finally!

The first measurable snow of the winter.

The best part of this?

It will be a short winter.

~*~

Crystal (12/366)

~*~

He who lives by the crystal ball soon learns to eat ground glass.
~ Edgar R. Fiedler

First snow of the season

I hate it when the snow melts - then freezes - on the car windshield!

~*~

Freezer (11/366)

~*~

Gib: Same thing happened to me with wife number two, 'member? I have no idea nothing's going on, right? I come home one day and the house is empty, and I mean completely empty. She even took the ice cube trays out of the freezer. What kind of a sick bitch takes the ICE CUBE trays out of the FREEZER?
~ Memorable quotes from True Lies (1994)

It was market day for Market Day!  

Cam's High School Band uses Market Day as a fundraiser. I try to make a purchase each month to support the program ... and to fill our bellies!

~*~

Skittles (10/366)

~*~

 Life isn't all beer and skittles, but beer and skittles, or something better of the same sort, must form a good part of every Englishman's education.
~ Thomas Hughes

Remember when 25 cents could make you happy?

Today it made me happy!

~*~

Sunrise (9/366)

~*~

 Trying to sneak a fastball past Hank Aaron 

is like trying to sneak the sunrise past a rooster.
~ Joe Adcock

Just because sunsets get all of the attention ...

~*~

Cereal (8/366)

~*~

I won't eat any cereal that doesn't turn the milk purple.
~ Bill Watterson

I'm fairly certain there is some law that requires all hotels who serve a continental breakfast to include Fruit Loops.

~*~