Overdressed

This is what New Years Eve looks like at 40:

The bubbly in the refrigerator is sparkling apple cider.

The Kid is ringing in the new year with his friends rather than his parents.

I'm watching "Garrison Keillor's New Years Eve Special" from the Ryman Auditorium on PBS because the "Mtv Goes Gold: New Years Eve 2007" special was frankly just giving me a headache and I simply can not bear Ryan Seacrest.

Big Daddy is playing Xbox Live on the big screen in his office.

Happy happy. We're healthy and we're here. Who can complain about that? Here's to more of the same in 2007.

Posted by Kalisa at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Sundry has some of the most amazing photos of waves I've ever seen over on her site, along with this year-end wrap-up meme.

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?
I got laid off.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t make any last year. I’m still considering this year.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My best friend from high school had her third child – a beautiful baby girl.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Another friend from high school succumbed to breast cancer. She was 39 and left two young children.
5. What countries did you visit?
None. Had a nice week at the beach in Florida, though.
6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
A full-time job.
7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Jan. 17…my sobriety date.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
See #7. Also quit smoking.
9. What was your biggest failure?
See #1
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
As a result of my high-heeled-shoe addiction, I have cysts on the balls of my feet that need to be surgically removed. And I had a tooth pulled.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My mid-life crises car
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Bono’s
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mel Gibson’s
14. Where did most of your money go?
Into savings. Hey, the Kid starts private high school next year.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Meeting THE President, My Kid's dance, Memphis Tigers rank #1 seed in NCAA tournament
16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
“Stupid Girls”
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) much happier; b) about the same; c) richer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Enjoying the weather
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Sleeping
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
Had the in-laws over for brunch.
21. Did you fall in love in 2006?
Yes
22. How many one-night stands?
None
23. What was your favorite TV program?
Weeds
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Girls who show their privates in public.
25. What was the best book you read?
I thoroughly enjoyed In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Alt-country
27. What did you want and get?
A Me & Ro necklace
28. What did you want and not get?
Manolos (*sigh* same answer every year…)
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
The best movie I saw was probably Tsotsi. The movie that I can watch over and over is Pride and Prejudice.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I spent the evening alone, eating out and reading at Starbucks. It was awesomeness. I turned 40. FOR. TEE.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
World travel.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
"What Would Stacy & Clinton Say?"
33. What kept you sane?
Books, my iPod, Friday nights on the couch with a week’s worth of DVR’ed television shows.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Kate Winslet. So beautiful and talented, and not in desperate need of a sandwich.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election
36. Who did you miss?
Bill Clinton!!!
37. Who was the best new person you met?
Bill Clinton
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
It’s not all about me afterall.
39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I've been a long time gone now
Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down
But I've always found my way somehow
By taking the long way
Taking the long way around

Posted by Kalisa at 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments

Last night My Kid and his friend met their two girl friends at the movies. When I picked him up, the two girls, waiting out front for their own ride, waved goodbye to him as he got in the car. It was then, on instinct and without thinking, that I made the life-ending, tragic mistake.

I waved back.

GOD! They weren't waving at ME! DUH!

He'll never be able to show his face in this town again.

Posted by Kalisa at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments

My husband invited his parents to come eat dinner with us on Christmas Eve, then he told me that they want to come over Christmas morning to exchange gifts and see what all we got, so I said, "Why don't we have Christmas brunch instead?" so they don't have to come over twice. Heh.

This morning I've been doing some research online for recipes, followed by grocery shopping. Here is the menu I've settled on:

Chocolately Christmas Cafe au Lait
Winter Fruit Compote
Brie and Cranberry Pizza
Crab and Cream Cheese Baked Eggs
Banana Cream Crepes with Raspberry Sauce

I'll let you know how it goes.

I hope you've completed all your shopping by now and can just relax and let the giving begin. Happy Christmas to you all. Have a lovely holiday with the people that you love.

Posted by Kalisa at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

Did you see Justin Timberlake on SNL tonight? Who knew he was so funny?? I have laughed out loud at every single one of his sketches so far. And I can't really remember the last time I laughed out loud at anything on SNL. I think it was about 1981.

Posted by Kalisa at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments

It's not exactly Life Magazine material, but I cleaned out all the photos on our camera today.

Last winter, we got snow. Do you think it's inappropriate to put a picture of your home on a christmas card?

"From our house to yours....May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white."

Last year's basketball awards presentation:

My furry child, before his summer haircut:

Summer vacation, Florida, 2006:

Posted by Kalisa at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments

Oysters on the half shell:

It was the Kid's first time:

He actually really liked them:

The fishing trip:

Their catch:

Posted by Kalisa at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments

Last night I dreamed that my friend - my roommate before I married - and I were going off to boarding school together. I think we must have been high school-aged. When we got to our room, it was FULL of pieces of huge, old furniture. Most of it was monstrous and heavy and pointless and we spent the entire dream facing the challenge of moving out the pieces that we wouldn't need and selecting four beds, dressers, desks and night tables - one for each of the girls who would live in the room.

Some of the furniture was very dark wood, some of it was painted white, some light green and some pale pink.

There were other subplots and challenges as well - the third girl's father who smoked in the room, a giant rat that chewed the head off a little dog, a mean-spirited girl who drew all over the side of my face with a bright blue makeup pencil while I was touching up my eyeliner for the school dance.

But most of the dream was about moving out all that old, unneeded furniture.

* When I was in high school, I used to sleep with the radio on. Once I woke up in the middle of the night and heard Cheap Trick singing what I swore were the lyrics "Dream Kalisah."

Posted by Kalisa at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

Yesterday I received an Xmas card with a return address I didn't recognize. It was addressed to Kalisah Maidenname. Which was kind of weird.

I opened it up. It was a rather cheap-looking card w/ snowmen on the front. Inside, it was signed "The Relief Society* Presidency" and three names I did not recognize.

OK, this is bothersome on so many levels.

First, I haven't stepped foot in a Mormon church since....mmm, 1985? So it's a little scary that they seem to be coming after me now after all this time.

Secondly, they knew my exact mailing address [where I've lived for 5 years], but didn't know my married name [which I've had for nearly 14 years]. Perhaps - and this thought just occurred to me - maybe they're refusing to recognize my union since I married outside the covenant.

Third, don't you think it's odd that a church society would send a Christmas card with snowmen on it and completely lacking in any religious holiday message whatsoever? There are a trio of snowmen on the front - maybe they're supposed to represent the three women who signed the card? I won't even get into the whole philosophical argument about the leaders of the women's society being represented by three snowMEN, as therein lies one of the major faults of LDS dogma.

After much deliberation, I've decided that the reason for the card must absolutely be one of the following:
1. My mom is getting ready to be rebaptized into the Mormon church.
2. The new VP at work is Mormon.
3. I just found out we have HBO and started watching "Big Love."

*The Relief Society is the women's group of the Mormon church.

Posted by Kalisa at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments

The Director of HR just sent an email to a company from which she had ordered some books that she's been charged for but has not received. The email included all of her check card information from which the money was withdrawn. How do I know this, you ask? SHE ACCIDENTALLY BLIND-COPIED THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION.

Posted by Kalisa at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

My Kid? He's on his knees. Because if he were standing and we were sitting, you wouldn't be able to get us all in the same photo frame.

Posted by Kalisa at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments

Just now I was on the USA Today web site and saw this breaking news: "Foley Panel: No Rules Broken."

Then I opened up a new browser, and my homepage was set to MSN, which had this news: "House Ethics Finds GOP Negligent."

I didn't read either story, b/c I wasn't really thatinterested. I'm assuming the panel said that the party was negligent but didn't break any rules. Funny how the media selects their headlines, though, no?

Posted by Kalisa at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments

Here's who I spent the last two days with:

And okay...the endurance stunts are kinda weird, but his street magic is COOL. (That's his brother on my right and the girl is a friend of his who was visiting from Nashville.)

Posted by Kalisa at 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments