Uh, Where Have I Been?

I've been so busy reading and commenting on other people's blogs that I have sorely neglected my own. I may have to do a bullet catch-up, because a lot has happened.

• Okay, hello? New Years? Amazing! Everything I wanted it to be and more. Perfect travel, dress didn't get smushed because I got upgraded to 1st Class (I when I say me, I mean me, not me and Ray!). Normally I wouldn't have taken it, but the dress took priority and there was soooo much room in the 1st Class closet. Sorry Sweetheart. Relaxing day watching the Food Network, HGTV and then walking the Bayer Headquarters area in Tarrytown (freezing cold wind though, my mastoid is still pouting). Got ready, had a glass of bubbly, the car arrived on time, shot through to the city in record time, had the greatest evening at the Waterclub (seriously, everyone should do this once in their lifetime - great food, service and band, whoo-hoo!). Shot home at 1:30 am and slept like wee babes. We only had to get up in the middle of the night for some Advil and a shot of water. We all woke up fresh as daisies. There was a minor toast-burning-alarm-screeching, fire-engine-showing-up trauma around 11, but it was mostly funny. Back home, both upgraded to 1st Class this time. Lovely and perfect weekend.
• Dad's cousin's daughter - not sure what that makes us - Allison came to stay for a night before she went off to Orlando to do a half marathon, followed by a full marathon the next day (don't get too excited, she and her friend said they were going to walk a lot of it and they were going to do it wearing Mickey Mouse ears). But still, a day and a half of marathoning...go Allison. Nice to meet you!
• I captured some video of Kiefer picking the Baby Jesus up out of my creche that sits under our Christmas tree and swaying with it in his palms saying, "I'm rocking the Baby Jesus, Auntie Lollie." In more ways than one kid...you are precious.
• The tree sadly came down last weekend, always a bit of a downer. The pretty smell, the lovely lights, the twinkle...all gone. All we were left with was a sticky sappy mess in the tree holder and a trail of needles and dripping water to the front door. (ps - the tree is still sitting out in the front of the house on the curb (after two garbage days) waiting to be picked up. Last year, it didn't disappear until the second week of Feb.
  
• I missed Mario's birthday (that bastard still hasn't come to visit me). Happy Cinco de Mario sweetie! Miss you!
• Mom had her spa party for the nurses at the clinic. It was great fun, we all had a very nice time. I think my resolution this year is to get more in touch with my chic side (chic as in female, not stylish - I've plenty of that...HA!). I'm going to start a Book Club for the Jupiter ladies. Any suggestions for an intro read? I know it will quickly degenerate into a boozy, no-kids, gossip night, but hey, that might be what I'm ultimately looking for in girl-time.
• Ray and I were rudely woken at 3:30am to a chirping fire alarm...let me rephrase...I was rudely woken by the alarm chirping, Ray was rudely woken by me. He was a hero and fixed it after a half an hour of dicking around with another battery from the downstairs alarm (which then started to chirp), and the battery from the ceiling fan remote. The damn thing went off again after a few hours. Ray, being the hero one more time, got out of bed, licked the battery, stuck it back in, and hoped it would hold until 7, when I had to get up and pack. It started to chirp again as I was leaving the house this morning at 9. I walked out and left the hero to deal with it. Note to self...let me rephrase...Note to hero: buy a pant-load of nine volts for the next alarming episode.
• So that was last night. Today, my tired ass drove Pops to the Mayo in Jacksonville. There was a strange moment there while I was driving past St. Augustine, where I had the sensation that the car was stationary and road was being dragged like a carpet behind the vehicle. I think I should have had a few more gulps of coffee before we left. The doc visit was a success - "You're better this time than you were last time," and the increased prescription was to walk for 10 minutes every day. I could have told him that in Ocean Ridge. And I wouldn't have charged his insurance! Off to get Liz and David from the airport so we can all have a big Prime Rib dinner, and then hit the sack in the hotel. I have the Full Caretaker bed. He gets the Queen Size with the special red outlets to plug in an oxygen tank. The day he needs an oxygen tank is the day he goes for his Special Cruise - you know...the one where he "accidentally" slips overboard.
  

Well, that's me so far in 2007. Two brushes with fire alarms...hmmm...this does not bode well for the things-come-in-threes-saying. We'll just have t go over to E's for Yorkshire Pudding. The oiled pans are always too hot in the oven; they always set the alarm off...yeah, that's what we'll do.