300+ Support Group~Decking the Halls in December 2012

[CinnamonSpice]

Morning everyone..

Melinda...you are a riot...that's so much for leaving me the $33 was it?..lol I will see what I can do about getting it back...I wouldn't hold your breath though...lol

Glad you had such a good time...Vegas has a way of keeping you distracted from all your troubles for awhile...it's can be magical.

Hope everyone else is hanging in there.

I ate too much peppermint bark yesterday..white chocolate on the top...dark on the bottom....long story...won't be doing that again...it is so not worth it...although, it was yummy at the time..

Love all the Christmas pictures you all have posted.

[crazyone]

Originally Posted by chewiegand

I have a prescription cream that works really well on my shoulder when my bursitis flairs up. It's called valterian gel and my dr gave me a sample then I got a prescription.

oooh I have that too and I have the pill form..wonder if it will help my back.. it acted up in Walfarts of all places.. so most of my groceries are still in the car waiting on my son to get up and take them in.. but he isn't like your boys.. mine is lazy...

[crazyone]

Lynn..I am becoming addicted to white chocolate.. and I swear to you for Christmas day I thought ok I am going to buy an angel food cake.. I really love Angel food cake and melt white chocolate on it LOL!! thankfully there was no white chocolate left.. I don't have to be doing that..We love Vegas...you can understand why...it's not even about the gambling.. it's the lights and sparkles....it's not like it once was when the Mob ruled it...We went out to dinner at the Paris Casino.. I really didn't want to, I wanted prime rib.. but they wanted to go I had to have a flat iron steak with french fries....22 bucks!!!! Never when the mob ran it was it so corporate like that.. funny story about that steak, it came to me with a massive amount of chopped garlic sauce OMG, I almost got sick looking at it.. but I didn't want to cause a stir...so I scraped it OFF..I took the Bearnaise sauce it came with..thankfully I got it on the side, so after I scraped it, I poured some scraped it off and rinsed again with the sauce...hubs looked at me and I whispered GARLIC!!!

[crazyone]

Originally Posted by chewiegand

Good morning. Dh and ds14 are off delivering Christmas presents--they took my van cause dh said there were so many. He took ds to do the running up to the doors. He's even paying him although it is super illegal but then again so is using your own vehicle. LOL

I set my alarm for 8 cause I wanted to get stuff done. I have another load of laundry going and the red velvet cookies are done. DS18 is still sleeping although I thought I heard him moving about.

I still have to make choc chips and sugar cookies. My sugar cookies are cut outs that I sandwich with jam between. Plus I still have to dip the oreo truffles in melted chocolate today. Oh, plus my gingerbread men. We have to decorate them later. We will all do that together in the family room while we watch football.

Making a frozen lasagna for the boys today. Parents aren't coming. Dh called them and told them he's working today. Plus they're coming on Tuesday anyway.

Melinda--sounds like you had a fantastic bd trip. I'm so happy for you. Wow, a suite---how swanky. How did you hurt your back?

OMG OUR RENTAL car goes back tomorrow, but I might make a trip to Arkansas....wow yummo!!! I have no idea how I hurt the back.. it's crazy...it just started with shooting pains in my shoulder and settled in my back.. man I sounds like a whiner but it hurts...

Chewie OMG.... we came back to the hotel room, we dressed for the show...they had already cleaned the room for the day....so we go to the show..come back around 1am.. and when we got in...it seemed like someone had been there again.. but I couldn't lay my finger on why I had this feeling.. so we pack the night before we leave.. so when morning comes, we get dressed and leave...so all of a sudden my hubs goes hey Melindsky look they came back and put chocolate on our pillow!!!! LOLOL...is this how the richer people live.. now I am back to my small cluttered messy prolly dirty house.. and I need to declutter...the mess is bothering me...your right..

[crazyone]

Well I guess I better stop chatting.. hubs is leaving late for work and I have to go back outside and move my car...it would have been easier if he had left by 8am.. not 9 am.. aww well..

[CinnamonSpice]

Originally Posted by crazyone

Lynn..I am becoming addicted to white chocolate.. and I swear to you for Christmas day I thought ok I am going to buy an angel food cake.. I really love Angel food cake and melt white chocolate on it LOL!! thankfully there was no white chocolate left.. I don't have to be doing that..We love Vegas...you can understand why...it's not even about the gambling.. it's the lights and sparkles....it's not like it once was when the Mob ruled it...We went out to dinner at the Paris Casino.. I really didn't want to, I wanted prime rib.. but they wanted to go I had to have a flat iron steak with french fries....22 bucks!!!! Never when the mob ran it was it so corporate like that.. funny story about that steak, it came to me with a massive amount of chopped garlic sauce OMG, I almost got sick looking at it.. but I didn't want to cause a stir...so I scraped it OFF..I took the Bearnaise sauce it came with..thankfully I got it on the side, so after I scraped it, I poured some scraped it off and rinsed again with the sauce...hubs looked at me and I whispered GARLIC!!!

This made me laugh out loud..of all things...your favorite...garlic...

We are going to be staying right next door at Planet Hollywood...

but, my favorite place is the Venetian...PH gave us a better deal...although, if you like Foreigner...which was part of the deal they offered there...it would have been nice...DBF (darling boyfriend, Melinda..lol)..wasn't interested in Foreigner...so, we opted for PH...and they are giving us NYE dinner and a brunch on NY's Day. They have fireworks at night.

By the way...I listen to the radio when I go to bed at night..and I heard them say something about a stabbing at the Belaggio last night...I am going to go look it up...something about a pit boss getting stabbed...you never used to hear about anything happening in Vegas...but, there was a shooting I believe at Excalibur last week too...I always think of Vegas as being one of the safest places I know.

[kcmama]

Good Morning All. I am feeling in a better mood this morning. I was not too happy last night as ds and youngest had to have friends over to spend the night. I had said yes to ds when he called as I figured he and his friend wouldn't be here until the curfew of midnight. Instead when I got back from errands around 6:30 there they were with, "We are starving". so, my kitchen table was a mess because youngest and I had been making Christmas cards to take to patients in the hospital (we still have more to make) and I have some food gifts packaged and on the table. I am bringing in some groceries and have to stop to fix them food.....listening to their plans and praying they stay out of trouble.....then daughter's friend comes over. Ds decides to clean out his car so all his friends can ride. His car is like a homeless person's car. He and his friends open up our garage and walk through it One side of the garage has the huge trash and recycle cans, a sofa, large chair and a half, lawnmower,etc. Suffice it to say that I am ashamed to have anyone go in there and see it. DS continues to parade friends through there everytime he has anyone over. They knocked over a Shatto milk bottle and broke it. Thankfully no one got cut. I hadn't had a chance to clean bathrooms or vacuum. I did manage to clean bathrooms while they were out at the movie but could not vacuum because youngest and her friend were watching a movie. Then I had to go upstairs and pull out the trundle in youngest's room and make it up, then slide the trundle (that bugger was heavy and cumbersome) so that the girls could close the bedroom door. That was not how I wanted to spend my Saturday night!!!!!

I got up a little before 9:00, have had my coffee, done some Bible Study. Oldest left for work a bit before 9:00 which is what woke me up. Dh just left for Mass. I think that I may hear something upstairs so perhaps the girls are up.....

[crazyone]

Originally Posted by CinnamonSpice

This made me laugh out loud..of all things...your favorite...garlic...

We are going to be staying right next door at Planet Hollywood...

but, my favorite place is the Venetian...PH gave us a better deal...although, if you like Foreigner...which was part of the deal they offered there...it would have been nice...DBF (darling boyfriend, Melinda..lol)..wasn't interested in Foreigner...so, we opted for PH...and they are giving us NYE dinner and a brunch on NY's Day. They have fireworks at night.

By the way...I listen to the radio when I go to bed at night..and I heard them say something about a stabbing at the Belaggio last night...I am going to go look it up...something about a pit boss getting stabbed...you never used to hear about anything happening in Vegas...but, there was a shooting I believe at Excalibur last week too...I always think of Vegas as being one of the safest places I know.

I was just telling my husband on the drive back home.. that Vegas was the safest place, you had a lot of undercover cops walking around and stuff.. but I had heard about a year ago, with it growing so huge... that it's been tougher.. I had heard nothing about a stabbing...I need to look that up...Belaggio was beautiful when I saw it...but too rich for my blood...Venetian was really nice.. we had lunch there 2 times a go or maybe 3 times ago.. it was during the Chinese New Year and all I can say was just WOW!!

[crazyone]

Kcmama..my goodness....hope you get something really special on Christmas!!! Your amazing..

[Eliza_Jazz]

Originally Posted by debkeversole

me since July 7th last count was like 40 pounds UP and not been walking etc sometimes i will get on the bike but not consistantly

[Eliza_Jazz]

Originally Posted by chewiegand

Went to my surgeon on Thursday, lost 16 lbs in 17 days. I'm now onto the soft/pureed food stage.

Work stinks, they would not budge from the original per hour rate so I'm taking a $5 an hour pay cut. I will find something new soon.

Congrats on the WL Chewie!

That's a huuuuuge pay cut! They don't deserve you!

[Eliza_Jazz]

Hi Lony, KC, Melinda, Deb, Cinnamon, and everyone else!

[chewiegand]

Thanks, Eliza. I really had no choice. But I will not be staying very long.

So I folded one load, other is in the dryer. Made the red velvet cookies, choc chip cookies and the magic cookie bars. I also cup up that layered fudge--wow, it came out really pretty---looks professional. I'm already tired. Wow, wonder when I'm going to get this "energy" that all these weight loss surgery patients talk about. I sure haven't gotten it yet. I need a nap and it's not even noon.

[chewiegand]

I think the sugar cookies might have to wait till later. Plus I still have to dip the oreo truffles too. Sigh. I sure do love my boys---to do all this since I can't eat any of this.

[Eliza_Jazz]

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[crazyone]

Hello and Good morning to my Texas Cutie!!!!

[Eliza_Jazz]

Originally Posted by crazyone

Hello and Good morning to my Texas Cutie!!!!

[crazyone]

Boy I believe it was in front of the Bally's Hotel.. in Vegas.. they had this huge couple of story Christmas tree.. anyway every few seconds it turned colors, pink, purple, blue etc.. it was so breathtaking.. I told hubs I want one of those...

[Eliza_Jazz]

Phewwww.....I went to Walfarts for grocery shopping this morning between 7:15 - 8:15, then went to Target for last-minute gift shopping from 8:30 - 9:30 and, I am proud to say, got out of both places alive and before the big crowds hit!

I am staying put for the rest of the day cleaning, watching Christmas movies, and reading. Amazon will deliver a couple of gifts DH and DS's gifts tomorrow, and that's it.

We are doing a simple brunch with SIL and BIL on Christmas day with mimosas, eggnog, white-chocolate mochas, bacon, sausage, egg-sausage- crescent roll casserole I found on Pinterest, blueberry pancakes, and hash browns.

Then I'm making spiral-cut ham with ranch oven-roasted potatoes, mac-n-cheese, green beans, and green salad for an early dinner, followed by apple and berry pies with ice cream.

My sister-in-law doesn't cook, she just told me over Thanksgiving that she has no pots and pans, which doesn't surprise me. Unfortunately, they don't even have a kitchen or any other table to eat at. So she is bringing the champagne and orange juice for the mimosas, as well as the eggnog. I have already planned, purchased, and will cook and clean up all the rest.

I am doing it for DH because this is his brother and we want to have family for the holidays, but this is how it's always been, and I can't help but feel used. It's not about the money I spend, but mostly about the fact that I have put in a lot of time and effort to cook for them and clean after them, as they wouldn't even lift a finger to help with the after-meal clean up.

My sister in law always eats, then says she is tired, goes to my formal living room to sleep on the couch and I have to get her a blanket. When she wakes up and hour or so later, she comes to us and tells her husband they have to leave, so they up and leave. this has happened, without fail, for the last 7 years. I feel bad for her husband, but he allows her to act this way and follows her lead. I feel like a hotel/diner where you don't get paid. She participates in no food preparation, comes over, eats, sleeps, and leaves. She is a grown 45 y.o. woman! All the cleanup is left for me.

And she wanted to come over as early as Christmas Eve and spend Christmas Eve and Day at my house. I managed to weasel out of that one.

Sorry, don't mean to complain about relatives, and have tried very hard not to, but this year somehow it's all spilling out. Thanks for letting me vent.

[chewiegand]

Originally Posted by Eliza_Jazz

Phewwww.....I went to Walfarts for grocery shopping this morning between 7:15 - 8:15, then went to Target for last-minute gift shopping from 8:30 - 9:30 and, I am proud to say, got out of both places alive and before the big crowds hit!

I am staying put for the rest of the day cleaning, watching Christmas movies, and reading. Amazon will deliver a couple of gifts DH and DS's gifts tomorrow, and that's it.

We are doing a simple brunch with SIL and BIL on Christmas day with mimosas, eggnog, white-chocolate mochas, bacon, sausage, egg-sausage- crescent roll casserole I found on Pinterest, blueberry pancakes, and hash browns.

Then I'm making spiral-cut ham with ranch oven-roasted potatoes, mac-n-cheese, green beans, and green salad for an early dinner, followed by apple and berry pies with ice cream.

My sister-in-law doesn't cook, she just told me over Thanksgiving that she has no pots and pans, which doesn't surprise me. Unfortunately, they don't even have a kitchen or any other table to eat at. So she is bringing the champagne and orange juice for the mimosas, as well as the eggnog. I have already planned, purchased, and will cook and clean up all the rest.

I am doing it for DH because this is his brother and we want to have family for the holidays, but this is how it's always been, and I can't help but feel used. It's not about the money I spend, but mostly about the fact that I have put in a lot of time and effort to cook for them and clean after them, as they wouldn't even lift a finger to help with the after-meal clean up.

My sister in law always eats, then says she is tired, goes to my formal living room to sleep on the couch and I have to get her a blanket. When she wakes up and hour or so later, she comes to us and tells her husband they have to leave, so they up and leave. this has happened, without fail, for the last 7 years. I feel bad for her husband, but he allows her to act this way and follows her lead. I feel like a hotel/diner where you don't get paid. She participates in no food preparation, comes over, eats, sleeps, and leaves. She is a grown 45 y.o. woman! All the cleanup is left for me.

And she wanted to come over as early as Christmas Eve and spend Christmas Eve and Day at my house. I managed to weasel out of that one.

Sorry, don't mean to complain about relatives, and have tried very hard not to, but this year somehow it's all spilling out. Thanks for letting me vent.

That's just plain rude. I don't blame you for feeling used. I would feel the same way. I feel that way with the parents sometimes and they are our parents. It'll be over soon. Do you have the full 2 weeks off?

[crazyone]

Deb....since my back is killing me... I was wondering if you could direct me to the name of those mashed potatoes your making..so I can look it up.. if I remember you put them in a baking dish????? I need to make it easier for Tues...

I am so hoping my 12 pound turkey that has been in the fridge since Wed is going to be ok.....I am freaking on that...cause I have a steadfast rule I eat nothing that has been in the fridge after 2 days..

[Eliza_Jazz]

Part 2 of my rant about my in-laws. Mind you, he is 39 and she is 45....

We had decided to do a gift exchange for a predetermined amount of $50, so we were trying to find out what each other would like, in general terms. I said I like Diamond brand nuts and Lindt candy bars and glittery gel pens- stuff one can find in any store, without being too demanding or specific.

Here is a text I got from her for her and her husband's gifts that I need to go buy for them:

Me - warm fuzzy socks, cute warm pajamas,
Rittersport candy bars,
anything from Central Market (expensive high brow store),
any kind of nuts, especially filberts,
fruitcakes.
My husband - no butterfingers (butterfingers are an inside joke between DH and his brother about something they did as kids, so DH gave him some last year in addition to a very expensive other gift) -
Scottish whiskey or 12 y.o.
aged Jameson whiskey,
German cookes/cakes/candies from World Market,
a set of tumblers for coffee he can take for work,
French coffee press and coffee to go with it,
Nutella, Swedish pancake mix,
traditional gummi bears,
German licorice katzen odor hen, all available at Central Market

Is it just me, or do these people think I have a whole day to run around town and buy them their specific gifts? I think if they are so picky and specifically tell me what to buy them, they can go get it their own darn self! They are not my children and I think it is rude to be so demanding and specific.

They could have just said we would enjoy pajama gifts, candy gifts, coffee gifts, and whiskey. It made me feel like she thinks I have bad taste and she needs to spell her specific requirements out for me so I don't mess up their gifts that I'm paying for.

[crazyone]

Elizakins.. I couldn't even believe how crowded Walfarts was this morning OMG.. I had to park far away...

[Eliza_Jazz]

Originally Posted by chewiegand

That's just plain rude. I don't blame you for feeling used. I would feel the same way. I feel that way with the parents sometimes and they are our parents. It'll be over soon. Do you have the full 2 weeks off?

Thanks, friend Yep, I'm on vacation till January 7th!

Chews, have you ever thought of getting a Teaching certificate? It's only a few extra courses to your degree, the pay is decent, and you have many months off.

[crazyone]

Elizakins.. wow is all I gotta say...OMG....that sure makes the holidays that are suppose to be happy and wonderful..not worth it.. I swear.. you have every right to be angry and I am angry for you my goodness.. maybe instead of the gift exchange you should make it more potluck or something....thankfully my husband's sister lives in the next state or else she would be driving me to drinking..I think you need to if you have to do this.. you need to make it less stress and crazy off of you.. I am so serious...and the nerve with this gift crap text OMG!!!

[crazyone]

Originally Posted by Eliza_Jazz

Part 2 of my rant about my in-laws. Mind you, he is 39 and she is 45....

We had decided to do a gift exchange for a predetermined amount of $50, so we were trying to find out what each other would like, in general terms. I said I like Diamond brand nuts and Lindt candy bars and glittery gel pens- stuff one can find in any store, without being too demanding or specific.

Here is a text I got from her for her and her husband's gifts that I need to go buy for them:


Is it just me, or do these people think I have a whole day to run around town and buy them their specific gifts? I think if they are so picky and specifically tell me what to buy them, they can go get it their own darn self! They are not my children and I think it is rude to be so demanding and specific.

They could have just said we would enjoy pajama gifts, candy gifts, coffee gifts, and whiskey. It made me feel like she thinks I have bad taste and she needs to spell her specific requirements out for me so I don't mess up their gifts that I'm paying for.

I am telling you I would buy something they hated to make a point.. cause this would make me so angry that I would be fighting with hubs over this... I swear I would throw a gift card at them with the list..and a big bag of COAL

[Eliza_Jazz]

Originally Posted by crazyone

Elizakins.. wow is all I gotta say...OMG....that sure makes the holidays that are suppose to be happy and wonderful..not worth it.. I swear.. you have every right to be angry and I am angry for you my goodness.. maybe instead of the gift exchange you should make it more potluck or something....thankfully my husband's sister lives in the next state or else she would be driving me to drinking..I think you need to if you have to do this.. you need to make it less stress and crazy off of you.. I am so serious...and the nerve with this gift crap text OMG!!!

Thank you! I sometimes feel I'm the crazy one to feel this is not OK. She thinks she is so special everybody has to do everything for her. Well, guess what, sistah, this ain't gonna work. If it weren't for DH and DS, I wouldn't even ever see them....My BIL is OK, but this woman is crazy!!!

You are right, this is the stuff that drives one to drinking! You are lucky your hub's sister lives the next state over.

[Eliza_Jazz]

Originally Posted by crazyone

I am telling you I would buy something they hated to make a point.. cause this would make me so angry that I would be fighting with hubs over this... I swear I would throw a gift card at them with the list..and a big bag of COAL

Thanks for making me laugh, Melindochka, and for letting me vent! I've been boiling over this on the inside, especially after she texted me the long list of gifts that she wants me to get for them. Filberts she wants! I don't even know what in the world that is!

[crazyone]

Originally Posted by Eliza_Jazz

Thank you! I sometimes feel I'm the crazy one to feel this is not OK. She thinks she is so special everybody has to do everything for her. Well, guess what, sistah, this ain't gonna work. If it weren't for DH and DS, I wouldn't even ever see them....My BIL is OK, but this woman is crazy!!!

You are right, this is the stuff that drives one to drinking! You are lucky your hub's sister lives the next state over.

oh but I do understand, when she was out here she was relentless...I remember bringing my son home from the hospital....and here we are 2 new parents and she was a permanent fixture on my couch for 2 weeks...so I totally understand.. man..

[crazyone]

Originally Posted by Eliza_Jazz

Thanks for making me laugh, Melindochka, and for letting me vent! I've been boiling over this on the inside, especially after she texted me the long list of gifts that she wants me to get for them. Filberts she wants! I don't even know what in the world that is!

Aren't Filberts nuts???? LMAO LOL!!! don't know either..