The Thompson Trials and Travels

Zeke spent 4 days with us...he was to have spent a week, or more, but things happen when there is custody sharing between parents. To be honest - I was just glad to have the four days as it had been almost two months since I had seen him. Seven year olds see things much differently than 54 year olds (or 44 year olds or 34 year olds or 24 year olds for that matter). 1. Seven year olds do not care what they look like when they go shopping. They have no measurement as to what "looks good on them," "nor how they're presented to the world." They simply do not care if their clothes match, if their hair is brushed, nor what other's think of them. In fact, they don't even see "others." 200 people in the store and their only focus is finding the psp game aisle and the lego station. Lesson learned. 2. Seven year olds aren't impulsive buyers. If they do not want something they simply say, "I don't want that." I was amazed - I was from ...

Today has to be one of the saddest days of my life. I just watched Elton John perform on Oprah. Look, I know he’s getting old…and I don’t expect him to go into seclusion like Garbo…but please…don’t try to sing when you can’t sing any longer. Let me live with my memories! “Your Song,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Crocodile Rock,” those are songs that conjure up flashbacks of beer bombs on the mountain…white Bonnie Bell pineapple scented lipstick…pale lilac and eggshell blue nail polish…wedge leather sandals…and your music blaring from the 8 track tape deck firmly installed (compliments of my brother) in the console of my ’73 Firebird! Don’t sing and take those memories away from me!!! You see, when you hear a certain song… your youth comes rushing back. Every time I hear the BeeGee’s “To Love Somebody,” I’m transformed back to the homecoming dance my sophomore year…with Jeff…whose Brut cologne was so strong that my eyes stung and teared up. (Fortunately, he thought I was just ...

Sometimes it's a good year...sometimes it's a bad year...this year it was more like WTF???? I don't think this little town (a little town that supplied 80% of the carpet to the entire world btw) had ever seen a recession like we experienced in late 2008/2009. Many of my friends lost their jobs...many lost their own companies...many lost their homes. You could literally drive the streets and see the "for sale" signs, or worse the "foreclosure" signs, everywhere. In a town with a population of just over 76,000 people - our local newspaper had over 180 home forclosures listed in one week. I drove by these "for sale" and "foreclosure" signs every day on my way to work. There were eight on Tibbs Road (the road I took daily) alone. I wasn't really concerned about me personally, I had worked for the same company for 20+ years...had received a good performance review and a nice raise in March, but something in my 'gut' told me......

So...this year we ventured to Texas to spend Christmas with Kyle, Darrell and their three little ones. It's the first time I haven't had an extended family Christmas at my house since...well... since I can remember! Actually, it's the first time I haven't had an extended family since I can remember... but that's a story for another day. The Trip Don and I met Zeke and Jason at Hartsfield to board the plane. Jason was late, of course. Don, Jason and Zeke were just loping along...while I was having a mini-anxiety attack. (I hate being late especially when I think I'm going to miss a flight). After we went through security Zeke started walking ahead of us. I grabbed his arm and told him that he needed to stay close to us...that there were a lot of people around and he could get hurt or lost. His reply..."I've seen Home Alone 2 - I know what could happen." Well...that set the tone for the trip if you know what I mean. We boarded the plane. Jason and Z...

I wrote this in November...but forgot to post! Since losing my job, after 24 years with the same company might I remind you, I've sat here for five months not doing much of anything except watching (and hating) Hoda and Kathy Lee...wondering why in the H Oprah gave Dr. Oz his own show (it's really pathetic - every man and woman in America now has some illness that he's convinced them they have)...and missing Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Joey, Monica, Chandler and Will and Grace terribly!!! Cleaning house...I don't even want to think about it. Waking and trying to motivate yourself to clean toilets or the tile doesn't hold an interest for me although at some point in time I'm going to have to do that...if not...the dogs will pack up and move to a shelter. In fact, I've seen them wishfully eyeing the door everytime someone enters or leaves. Cooking seems to be the only thing I like doing these days...I find I really enjoy cooking! Who knew? Certainly not my family be...

I became fascinated with the Julie blog after "D" day and have watched Julie & Julia ten times. There's only so much you can do in a day when you don't want to do....anything...so I decided to cook. Julia, on her French Cooking show, made proscuttio florintine puffed pastry with 'swiss' not 'parmesan' cheese. I decided to tackle that sans proscuttio. I do not like proscuttio ham. To me it tastes like watered down meat slime. I guess I have no Italian blood in my veins. I made it with bacon and it was still delicious! I made shrimp (prawn) florintine, and learned that anytime florintine is listed in the recipe it means it has spinach in the dish, mixed with caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms then tossed with an alfredo sauce (which is made with parmesan cheese) over homemade basil noodles. I made a simple meatloaf...well not so simple...it has a French name that I can't remember....where you mix sirloin beef with sauteed onions and green p...