Thanksgiving with Tom and Nance

If you've never met my dad, he's awesome. He just really is such a good guy, and I feel very lucky to have him for a dad. He has stuck with me and my sister through good and bad (and very bad), and I like to think of Kayley and Zachary as his reward for doing so. (He is absolutely in love with his grandchildren - listening to him talk about them melts even my black, icy heart.)

I'm bringing a friend home with me for Thanksgiving (further proof that I'm a perpetual student). Hannah is also getting her PhD in sociology but at Goldsmiths, part of the University of London, and she's here in NYC for 3 months writing up her dissertation. She didn't have any plans for turkey day, and I couldn't let her not do Thanksgiving, so I invited her to Boston. She said it was really sweet of me to invite her, but I didn't see it that way. "If you get a better offer, TAKE IT!" I implored her, to no avail.

I e-mailed my dad to ask it would be okay. Here was his reply:

yes, absolutely. We would love to have Hannah join us. I will try to keep the conversation away from the whole 13 colonies thing.

I love my dad. I also reassured him that Hannah has very cool with the whole colonialism thing and was appropriately humbled by the Tea Party.

Then, of course, there's my mother. I haven't spoken to her about Hannah coming to dinner yet, although I'm sure my father told her. You never really know what's going to come out of Nancy's mouth. For instance, when I was dating Paul, he was with us for a holiday and was talking about how expensive red wine was in the US (relative to both the UK and to other consumer goods). "But you have crumpets!" my mother interjected.

[crickets chirping]

These are the types of non sequiturs we have to look forward. Which reminds me how thankful I am in advance for the wine we'll be having during the meal.

Dads mean well

I thought this was too funny and just had to share, especially for all my moms.

A friend from college that I've reconnected with has 8-month-old twin boys. Yesterday, this was her Facebook status:

Liz...Finds it funny that my husband asked last week what that bin of clothes was next to the boys' cribs. It was their hamper. Hope the boys get put to bed in clean PJs tonite while mommy works late!

too much shopping?

I having a twinge of buyer's remorse, so consider this my confessional.

Yesterday I went to Sephora and exercised amazing restraint. I only bought eye shadow primer (which I needed - I love this anti-creasing miracle cream), a tinted lip balm (in plum), and a small lip brush so I wouldn't have to stick my finger into the pot. I like wearing more color on my lips, especially in the winter when my face is so pale. I feel like it brightens me up a bit. But it doesn't look so good when your lips are dry and flaky, so I felt this was a good compromise. I really wanted the mascara sampler but resisted. I may buy myself the Bare Essentials Happiness Kit. I think it would make me happy to have that adorable clutch.

I also had the 30% coupon for Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic. I poked around the Gap but was underwhelmed, per usual. Old Navy is always hit or miss, but I did pretty well. For $50, I got a sweater, a sleeveless blouse, a tank (that's going back), and 3 pairs of earrings. The sweater has a gold metallic thread woven into it, but I think it's not so holiday-y that I can't wear it or a regular basis. I really like the color of the blouse because I don't have much green (hardly any, I realize as I peek into my closet), but I'm not sure how practice it is. It shows a little too much cleavage for teaching, but I can always put a cami under it.

I didn't make it to Banana. I had managed to shop in SoHo on a Saturday and not commit an act of grievous bodily harm against anyone, and I didn't want to push my luck.

Tonight I just popped over to the Rite Aid (nickname: Douche Aid, for the friendly customer service) for some basics: conditioner, body lotion, toilet paper. You know, exciting stuff. I managed to get out of there without spending $80 and/or buying tons of stuff I didn't need, so I rewarded myself with a Coke Zero and wandered through the Brooklyn Indie Market on the corner. I am a huge sucker for jewelry, and I have been wanting something short and silver. Not only did I find a pretty necklace - on sale - the artist informed me she's having a trunk sale next Sunday at her studio in Park Slope. With free champagne. Jewelry and bubbly? Ummm, yes please! (See, I'm not just a materialistic compulsive accessorizer, I'm a patron of the arts!)

I'm also on the market for a new coat - two actually. I really need a new wool coat and a new down parka. I have 2 shorter coats that are perfect for 50 degree weather, but once it starts getting really cold they're just not enough. My puffy is 5 years old, sheds feathers onto everything I wear under it, and is tight around the bum (not sure how that happened - must have shrunk at the cleaners). My wool coat is from my senior year of college, which makes it 8 years old, so I feel no guilt over replacing that. I haven't been shopping that seriously, but last night I was poking around on smartbargains and found this beauty:

I was just sitting around, enjoying my Coke Zero and fiddling with my new necklace, pretending like I was going to grade papers, so I figured I'd check in on it. Quick check of the bank account - the money is there, so I figure I might as well buy it. Do they have it in my size? Check. In the color I want? Yes, but it's the last one in that color/size combo! Now I must have it, for for no other reason that so someone else doesn't get it that's not me. Frantic, I grab my wallet while I do a quick google search for coupon codes (a must before checking out with any online purchase). 15% off and free shipping? Clearly I am destined to own this coat! The universe is telling me to buy it!


So I bought it. The thrill of my shopping victory faded ever so slightly, but if my mother taught me anything in life, it's that you can always return it.

a most productive day

It's been a long week at school, so I decided to "work from home" today.

I slept in until about 9:30, checked e-mail, etc. and then got to work. I made pumpkin muffins and pumpkin bread. While those were in the oven I cleaned the kitchen. I put away the dry dishes, cleaned everything in the sink, cleaned the sink, wiped down the counters and stove top, wiped down the inside of the garbage can, re-lined the garbage and recycling bins, washed the floor, and made a list of the cleaning products we need to replenish.

Then it was on to the bathroom - I cleaned the toilet, sink, mirror and floor. In the living room I cleaned up all the dirt the new kitty had tossed every where, threw out the aloe plant she ate and subsequently puked in, repotted 2 other plants, cleaned all the saucers under the plants, vacuumed the futon, moved the futon and the dining room table back to where they were before the Halloween party, put the junk mail in the recycling, wiped down the table, and moved our various shoes/bags/scarves/etc. back to our own bedrooms. I also caught up on last night's episode of Project Runway.

Fresh Direct came at 2pm, so I got my lentil soup into the crock pot and finally took a shower. I brought my line-dry laundry to the laundromat, including the bath mat and shower curtain, picked up my regular laundry on the way home, enjoyed a pumpkin muffin and a cup of tea, retrieved my wet laundry, and hung it all to dry. The blood (our Halloween party was a rager) and hair dye (roommate) both appear to have come out of the shower curtain so the bathroom no longer looks like a crime scene, which can only be considered a good thing.

I didn't make it to the gym, but all that cleaning counts as a workout, right?

And now I'm blogging for the first time in 2 weeks! It has been a most productive day, indeed. It's amazing what I can accomplish when I don't want to grade papers!