Holiday Decor

Black Friday we spent the day putting up our holiday decor. Here's what we ended up with so far. I still need some things above the cabinets, but overall, it's not too bad. What do you think?

I Hate the Holidays

As much as I love Thanksgiving, I hate it. Why? Because I can't stop eating!! We have a few leftover "treats" in our house and rather than throw them away, I keep eating them. Apple pie and mint brownies are the enemy right now and will thankfully be gone tomorrow. I should just throw it away instead of eating it, but I look at it like throwing away money, and that is one thing I don't like to do. So, oh well. I'll enjoy the few days it's in the house and then once it's gone, it's gone. Thank God!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today has been a great day so far. John and I got up early and ran the 5K Turkey Trot in downtown Saratoga. It was a fairly easy run since probably 2.5 of the 3.1 miles was flat. I ran it in 38 minutes and 40 seconds (give or take a few secs) which is pretty good for me. I haven't run in almost 2 weeks and my hip was hurting some, so I'll take it. I think the last time I ran a 5K which may have been 10 years ago, I want to say I ran in 45 minutes maybe. So, I'd say this run was an improvement.

Our turkey is cooking in the oven right now and we're estimating to eat around 5 or so. My friend Tonja is supposed to be coming over, and I think my friend Brian may come as well. If no one shows up, then John and I will have plenty of food and leftovers!

I think the only other thing besides food that I'm excited about is watching the movie Home Alone tonight after dinner. It's on FX all day today and it's taking everything of me to not turn it on. While I was in Ohio last week, John bought it for me from Wal-mart and left it on the counter for me to see when I got home. It was really sweet!

Looking at the clock, I should go and peel my potatoes and boil them. I've got a lot to still get ready and I want it to all be done at the same time. I am thankful for so much in my life and my only wish would be to be spending it with our family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving!!

White Bag

Heaven comes in a white bag of M&M's. For a limited edition they have come out with Coconut M&M's. All I can say is...HEAVEN!!

Turkey No How?

I went grocery shopping for my turkey today and bought a frozen one, no big deal. However, once I brought it home, I have NO idea whether or not to leave it out on the counter during the day or just leave it in the fridge until Thursday. I'm pretty sure tomorrow I'm supposed to put it in water all day...something like that. I can't remember. I've only cooked a turkey one other time in my life and that was two years ago. I tried calling my mom tonight, but the phone is busy and I'm ready to go to bed, so I guess it'll have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully it'll thaw ok and be ready to cook Thursday!

Quick Trip

I'm back from another quick trip back to Cincinnati and that's why I haven't been posting. Time is always something I don't have when I back there which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. The time went by too fast, but it was great like every other trip I make. I will have to admit though, as much as I love coming back home, the traveling part gets a little old. I flew this time and that'll be the last or only time for a long while that I'll probably fly. It's just too expensive. And after Christmas, I/we won't be back until May or so.

I'd write more, but I'm tired and I have a lot to get done this week before Thursday. Tomorrow is another day!

Falling Apart

I don't know what my problem is these days, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say I'm falling apart. First it's the mole I have taken off that need to have more cut out. Today, it's my hip. It's been hurting on and off for at least 6 months now, but usually only after I've been sitting for long periods of time (driving from here to Ohio). The last week it's been hurting more than normal on a daily basis, and the past 2 days have been extremely painful. Now after sitting for 10 minutes, when I get up it feels like someone is stabbing me in the side of my hip.

John nagged me enough last night to make me call the doctor today. They got me in and sent me for an x-ray, but the doctor told me it was more my pelvis than my hip and the radiologist told me she didn't think the x-ray would show anything based on what I told her. So now, unless something shows up on the x-ray, I have to wait 2 weeks, call again, and then go see an orthopedic doctor and see what they say. If someone would've told me that I'd be falling apart by the time I was nearing 30, I'd say no thank you!

Verdict

I got the call today from my dermatologist's office. My biopsy results came back, and the mole they took off came back abnormal and they have to cut more out. Not really the answer I wanted, but I can't say that I'm shocked. I have to go on Thursday, December 3 at 9:05am. UGH.

John knows that all of this scares me and is so great about trying to make me feel better so when I told him that I had to go back, he said he'd go with me. He went with me for the biopsy which turned out to be not that big of a deal really, but since they'll actually be cutting into me and stitching me up, I'm glad he's coming.

What bothers me in all of this though is that that first day I went, they only looked at the mole my doctor wanted me to get looked at. They didn't even give me a full body check which I thought they'd do. The only reason they took the mole off that they did is because I asked her to take a look at it. For all I know, there are other ones I have that need to be taken off and I have to wait until January for them to do my full body check? I don't like that. I am going to ask/insist that they check me when I go on the 3rd.

Confession

I have a confession to make. I just now took down my Halloween decorations today. Why so late you ask? Well, I'm sure it's a number of reasons. Issues here at home this past week, laziness, and lack of Thanksgiving decor were all contributing factors, however, sheer laziness is probably the most prominent of factors. I also had a mound of paper that my Christmas dishes came wrapped in lying on the spare couch that had been there since the day after Halloween. I am aware of the mess that I make, I just for some reason don't care to pick it up right away. After a week or so it will drive me nuts and I will take care of it (whatever it may be) along with everything else that has piled up over the days. I wish I could change it, but it's just the way I've been my whole life. I make a conscious effort to tell myself to pick up after myself, but that generally doesn't last a week. Oh well. It all gets picked up and cleaned in the end, so I'm over it.

I still haven't heard back from the dermatologist about my mole. I'm guessing if I don't hear anything by the end of this coming week I guess I'll call. My assumption is that no news is good news, but I'd still like to know one way or another.

My neighbor and I are venturing down toward the city tomorrow to do some outlet shopping. Our plan a few months ago was to go to Lee, Mass. to go to their outlets, but we found this outlet that has some high class designer stores so we figured we'd check them out. I have no real desire to buy high class handbags or shoes because in the grand scheme of things, they don't really matter to me, and the money they ask for most of that stuff, I could buy 30 times the amount of things or take a trip somewhere for the weekend with John. But, it's always fun to look. And if there is something that is SUPER discounted that I like, then what the heck. But, that is what adventure awaits us tomorrow. Here's to hoping we have good luck!

The Carver's Office

I had my first visit yesterday to the dermatologists office, or "the carver" as I refer to them. I say this because I am always assuming that given my family's history, they're definitely going to want to cut on me. The whole reason I went is because my doctor noticed a mole on my back that she said she wanted me to get looked at. 5 days later, a referral from my insurance company came giving me the name of where I am to go. I figured with all that, I guess I'd better go...that and I used to be the tanning bed queen.

I didn't really know what to expect, I assumed they'd check my whole body, but they didn't. The doctor came in, asked to see the mole in question, looked, said it was fine, and asked if there were any others I was concerned about. I knew I had a dark one near my butt that she said looked funny, so she scraped it off and is sending it for biopsy. Hopefully that will come back clean. So she says to schedule a full body check. Why the heck they wouldn't do it then...who knows. I don't understand the whole dermatology game. I figured since I had an appointment that they'd check me over...guess not. So now I'll go back in January for that and sooner if the mole she scraped comes back sketchy.

So now I will have to get used to being pale. I'm so not a fan. I know and have known for too many years that it's better to be pale and tanning beds are the enemy, but hey, I liked it, and I still do, but will no longer partake which is hard for me. But, I haven't been tanning since June so that's a good start for me. Now I guess I'm on the search for the best sunless tanner I can find. I highly detest the Jergen's Natural Glow lotion because it smells like maple syrup on your body. After you put it on you feel dirty and sticky and smell like syrup. Not a fan of that. I'd do the mystic tans but they're expensive to get and I don't really know how long they last. I'll have to do more research.

Hickory Hill

Today my friend Brian and I went up to Warrensburg, NY to go to an open house at Hickory Hill Ski Lodge. They've been closed for the last couple of year and are reopening this upcoming season so to get the word out, they had an open house. Bouncy house for the kids, food, a band, and best of all, LOTS of beer tasting. Our friend Janelle told us about it earlier this week and we were both wondering how it would be, and it was fantastic with a really great turn out.

I wish I was a skier because I'm sure once the snow begins to fall it'd be ever beeter, but I'm terrified. I went once many years ago and would say I'm pretty reluctant to wanna ever go back and try again. Maybe if I sprung for ski lessons, but even then, I highly doubt it.

Sweetness

Oh my. I made the mistake of cruising the ice cream aisle of the grocery store earlier this week and saw that they have peppermint ice cream out now. Oooooh baby. Peppermint ice cream has to be my favorite seasonal ice cream. Matter of fact, I think I like a lot of peppermint things when the season hits. It's kinda like my love for pumpkin in the fall, although I don't eat pumpkin ice cream...not sure why. My butt won't be so happy about it, but I'm over it. I will enjoy my half cup serving of it daily and not feel bad about it. I exercise for a reason!