"Eat,Papa, Eat"

A few weeks ago, the fitness company that runs classes for my office began hyping up a biggest loser challenge they'd be hosting in office. I didn't join, but it seemed like a pretty great idea. Get people motivated about losing weight and staying fit during the holiday season-the most dangerous time of year. The contest has all kinds of incentive prizes and a final cash prize.

Now, let me juxtapose that with the list of treats that were made available to us through various vendors in our office today:

Godiva chocolates

Sugar cookies

Chocolate covered potato chips

chocolate covered nuts

chocolate peanut butter morsels

. . .and let's not forget the gingerbread house.

This is all in addition to our usual plate full of GIANT cookies we always get with lunch (our lunch is catered each day).

If this is the biggest loser, today is the episode where they shamelessly exploit all the contestants by shoving them in a room with mountains of all their favorite food and pretend to want them to abstain but secretly hope they'll gorge their obese selves into oblivion because, hey, this is reality TV and that's what we all tuned it to see, right?

Trust: it's disgusting.

Now excuse me while I go find that recipe for the chocolate/peanut butter/pretzel bars I plan to make for a party this weekend. If there are leftovers, I'll probably bring them into work. . .

Trim That Tree {Hank}

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, I cajoled my roommate out into the freezing cold night to pick out our Christmas tree.  I like to get as much holiday cheer crammed into the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years as possible! We made our way to my first ever city tree lot, which turned out to be a surprisingly painless experience. In about 3 minutes we'd parked, climbed through the tiny fir forest and found a suitably chubby tree that was nicely shaped. And, OK  we also made the men open up a tree from Nova Scotia just because our friend Sarah is from there and we thought it might be fun (our tree is from Quebec!). Before we knew it, he was loaded into the trunk of our giant zipcar and we were home and struggling to manhandle our tree into our tiny apartment.

No sooner had we moved our table into my bedroom to make room for the tree did we realized our "smallish" tree was actually quite a bit larger than we'd first thought.  As he settled into his stand Hank (as I've come to think of him) began to get bulkier and bulkier, spreading our over the whole nook we'd given over to him.

The next day when I came home, Hank had expanded to even greater size, his chunky branches pushing their way farther into the living room. His rotund middle reminding me of my grandpa's round belly. With some whimsical colored light on though, he's shining away robustly as I type this and I'm loving it. 

Some months ago,  I got the idea in my head that I'd really love to have a tree trimming party! You know, good friends, yuletide themed treats, and a bunch of people to help dress our tree! There appeared to be some confusion about what a tree trimming actually was ( a few people were expecting some branch thinning to go on!), but after that was cleared up, I like to think it went rather smashingly   Hank is looking resplendent with all his new baubles placed just so, and it feels even more like  Christmas in our little apartment.

I forgot to snap pictures most of the night, but here are a few !

Christmas time is here,

 happiness and cheer!

Oh my, friends, I sure am in my glory. Since about 12:00 AM Thanksgiving morning I have morphed into a holiday animal. I erupt into random song at various hours of the day (well. . .I might do that all the time. . .), I OD on carols every day on the way to and from work, and  today I started hopping around in excitement after arriving home to a pile of web ordered presents delivered and sitting in my lobby. 

This year, for the first time in my grown life, I'll be hosting some of my family at my place for a Christmas Eve celebration. And I and oh.so.jazzed. For weeks now, thoughts have been running through my head. Eggnog pancakes or ginger bread? Lasagna or roast? 

And I'm also excited, as we'll get to head downtown and see the Christmas lights and I'm hoping hoping hoping there'll be some carolers tra-la-la-ing, as well!

My weeks are replete with plans for upcoming holidays parties, including one of my own on Sunday (a tree trimming!) and I'm wishing I had enough glittery attire to wear every day until new year!

And the best part, everywhere I walk in the city, there are beautiful reminders of the season !

Like

Like mother, like daughters. 

Apple pie, mom

Pumpkin pie, older sis

Pecan pie, me

(we sure love us some baking)

A Little Less Face, a Little More Book (or work)

A few nights ago, as I clicked away on Facebook on my computer, my hand inadvertently reached for my smartphone and before I knew what was happening I'd opened up Facebook. On my phone. Even though I was already browsing it on my computer.

Yikes.

You guys, that is seriously a problem, right? And I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one with a phone muscle memory programmed to checking Facebook.

So, this week I've decided to make a commitment to myself for the rest of the month of November. I've decided that during the day (specifically at work) I will not use my phone to log on Facebook more than one time. As we are headed into the 2012 holiday season, I know we all are evaluating our lives and this past year. We are thankful for what we've gained and who we've loved. And hopeful for the new year fast approaching. The past few years on my blog I've forged a thankfulness campaign in November (who remembers those dreaded vlogs I decided to do in 2010? Ugh.) to remind myself and others to stop and be mindful of the things in life we have been blessed with each day.

This year, one thing I'm NOT thankful for is the way smartphones have eliminated being present and focused in our culture. One of my biggest pet peeves is being in a conversation with someone only to have them unwittingly pick up their phone and lapse into that coma of "uh huhs" and "yeas" when I know they aren't really listening to me. And I'm sure I do it to people too, which is the kicker! So I'm going to change that, at least on my end.

I'm going to train myself to not be glued to my phone but, instead experience more of what is going on around me, not on my phone. And I figure eliminating Facebook distractions is a pretty solid start. Who knows where I'll go from there?

I'll keep you posted on my progress, and I challenge you to join me! Let's be present in each others lives in a real and lasting way these next few months. It can only help us build a habit that will last us into 2013 and beyond! Tell me if you'll join me or encourage me here:  katydidwhatblog@gmail.com

Post Edit: I wrote this post about a week ago (in case you're thinking this is lame since November is well on it's way to being over. . .). I've been doing pretty great, actually and really enjoying slowing my obsessive phone checking habits at work. Today, however, about a half hour before the end of my long, albeit productive, day in the office, I was put on hold during once last call I made to get some information. And before I even knew it, I'd fished out my phone and was scrolling through Facebook,  but I wasn't even looking at my phone. It was like a last involuntary twitch from many hours spent doing that very same action. I was a little discouraged, but it also made me laugh. Here's to tomorrow: A new day during which my phone will stay safely in my purse far away from the reach of my "I'm on hold and super bored hands"!

Halloween 2012

I'm not really a Halloween celebrating type person. I didn't grow up in a home where Halloween was a big deal and we only dressed up a few times over the years. Honestly, minus indulging in a snack size kit kat or ten, the holiday barely registers on my radar.

This year, some friends were a hosting a small get together, however, and I was all about the Halloween cookies. Cuz, you know, sometimes I like to bake. . .

Making these little spooky treats was so fun, I'm almost excited for Halloween next year!

Parolee and Napoleon go to Boston

I seem to have this uncanny ability to be in the right place at the wrong time when it comes to run ins with officers of the law. There was the time a friend and I were in a car at about 2 AM while I whined about boy problems and a cop intercepted us because he thought we were "parking". I spent several minutes introducing him to my roommate and generally making an awkward scene with the door cracked because I panicked and forgot how to open the window. 

Oh, and the time another roomie and I saved a guy after a mugging, called the cops and got questioned by a detective (!) who ended up not caring about us at all once he found out we didn't actually witness the mugging and only let the victim in to our apartment and gave him water and called his girlfriend. Whatever, detective. Being a good Samaritan is important, too.

Today began just as innocently as I got in line at a federal building in downtown Boston where my credit union is located. The line for the security check was longer than usual and with a huff I shuffled to the back. A man two in front of me stood out in the crowd. He was a rough dude, made more intimidating by the fact that he was loudly announcing  that he was just out of jail again and would rather just stayed in another 6 months because he doesn't "do that parole shit" (pardon his language. . .)

Finally it was his turn at the security check and, within seconds, was in a verbal altercation with one of the security guards who heard Parolee call him a name. I generally assume security guards have a Napoleon Complex of sorts...which may be unfair, but whatever the case, this escalated pretty quickly. 

Another security guard backed Napoleon up, and they started kicking Parolee out of the building. Shouting continued and the security guards changed their minds, telling Parolee to stay put and they were going to call the cops. Parolee and Napoleon got feisty and starting backing up toward me, arms being thrust and thrown about threateningly. I slowly backed into the marble column behind me, hoping a wayward first wouldn't meet my face.

Parolee decided he'd had enough and was leaving no matter what the security guards said, and made a dash for the exit with Napoleon and his buddy in hot pursuit. 

At one point while ripping through the belted off area, the larger of the security guards got wrapped in the belt and was derailed while someone tried to help him. I tried not to laugh.

Much to Parolee's detriment no less than 5 police officers  happened to be loitering right outside the federal building and were quickly hailed by Napoleon. Two other security guards resumed running the security. I was extra polite. I smiled and folded my jacket nicely

and waiting patiently until I was told to walk through the metal detector  

Then, BEEP. I had set off the metal detector.

Rolling my eyes, I walked through and stepped aside to be have a hand wand check. I figured it was the decorative metal buckles on my shoes.

The guard directed me to hold on to the x-ray machine and lift one foot out of my shoe and then changed his mind

"Take off both your shoes," He said

"And put my feet on the floor?"  I gaped at him in horror while clinging to the metal detector one leg shoe less, hovering, stork like, in the air.

Something told me this wasn't the best time to question him. In the wake of a  testosterone infused altercation but, seriously, I don't know what's on that ground! 

After a resigned sigh, he caved, letting me alternate shoes off,feet held aloft, away from the floor. Finally, I was cleared to go about my business.

Later, I stepped outside to find Parolee in handcuffs screaming at one if the 5 cops surrounding him. I ducked my head and hurried past. Then snapped a photo from across the street (I've taken the liberty of pointing out the fuzzy parole in  handcuffs for you). 

I would have stopped to get a closer view but the voice of reason from earlier won out, convincing me that snapping a photo of an arrest would cause more of a ruckus than the shoe debacle.

Darn,  wouldn't I have loved to instagram that!