Katie’s Beer

8am - awaken to rain (for the 3rd day straight) and relatives knocking at door. These are the ones who stayed at the Hampton Inn nearby. They’ve already eaten and want to get a head start on the blizzard coming our way;

9am - relatives are now gone, so we madly get ready for church. We have just enough time to make it to the 10am Communion Service. Listen to rumors of Glen Mason’s departure on the Sid Hartman show on the way to church.

10am - A huge crowd! Lots of people with visiting relatives. Can’t hear the sermon so well from the makeshift seating in the foyer outside the sanctuary, but get to receive forgiveness of sins and strengthening of faith (that’s my favorite part anyway). Exit church to giant snowflakes!

12pm - make pancakes and sausages for lunch. I take a nap on couch.

2pm - everyone piles into the van to drive to Circuit City and Best Buy for some post-holiday returns and purchases.

4pm - drive to Super Target at Knollwood to look through the post-Christmas bargains and get something for supper. I buy one Monopoly game (the new version), two coats at an unbeatable price, groceries and three $25 iTunes cards on sale for $15 each

5pm - It’s official. Glen Mason is gone. Gee, that’s a surprise. Blame the coach.

6pm - heat up two Red Baron frozen pizza and load up the counter with appetizers and drinks. Watch the Minnesota Wild beat the Anaheim Mighty Ducks

7pm - break out the new Monopoly game and spend an hour setting up the board and reading the directions. It’s been a LONG time since we’ve played this game.

9pm - Kris pulls out ahead early in the game.

9:30pm- Now I remember how this game brings out my husband’s true character!

10pm - the Packers beat the Bears

10:30pm - Cousin Dylan remarks, “How long does this game go, anyway???”

11:30pm - Theresa quits game and carefully doles out her stash to the remaining three players. Kris quits a few minutes later and does the same.

12:30am - Dylan soundly beats Uncle Rob. Uncle Rob pretends not to care, but Aunt Theresa can see the frustration steaming in his eyes. Ha!

Tags: winter by TK
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What not to read before undergoing a hysterectomy…

A woman who refused a blood tranfusion died because she chose her faith over life, an inquest heard.

Allison Mallender, a 44-year-old Jehovah’s Witness, had been admitted to hospital for a routine hysterectomy.

After years of severe abdominal pain the mother-of-one was looking forward to surgery and a lifetime without constant pain.

But during the three-hour operation at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield surgeons encountered a series of complications.

Mrs Mallender’s abdominal organs were stuck together following a previous operation and she had begun to bleed heavily…

Yikes!  No offense meant, but I fully intend to accept blood products if required.  The ‘organs were stuck together” part is scary to read because those most probably were adhesions, which is what I have.  They can cause a lot of pain and I really can’t find a lot of information on them.  Tylenol #3 is my new best friend…

Tags: weird news by TK
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This list caught my eye today: Songs we wish we could leave in 2006. I thought to myself, “Hey, I’ve got two teenagers; I bet I know most of those songs!”

This list, written by Helen A.S. Popkin for MSNBC certainly lists many of my most annoying songs for 2006. Click on each song for her wonderfully snarky remarks.

My comments on the lists -

Justin Timberlake - he wouldn’t have the slightest idea how to be sexy, but then I’m probably not in his desired demographics. Ms. Popkins’ remarks remind me of my favorite Soul Patrol joke which goes something like, “Justin Timberlake just called Taylor Hicks and asked to have his sexy back.”

Fergie - most of her songs this year made me wince. I loved the BEP’s first few songs and even let my 16 year old attend their concert in the fall of 2005. Humps had just come out and I was sure that such a talented band would leave that song in the dust. Little did I realize that “Humps” was their big left hand blinker of a song.

Any rap song - I hate them all. Sorry, but I really do. Once in a while, my teens will play a rap song for me that is acceptable. However, a 99% failure rate isn’t good in any other field, so why would it justify the rare good rap song?

Evanescence- I like the lead singer’s powerful voice. The song is a good one for girls, at least girls who’ve put up with bad behavior from boys in the past. Give me that song over “shake your money maker” anyday.

The Fray - I don’t understand why Ms. Popkin doesn’t like “How to save a life.”, but then I’ve never watched Grey’s Anatomy. I think it’s a good song.

Hinder - I like the vocal strength of Lips of an Angel, but the lyrics describe some pretty awful behavior.

James Blunt - I liked the song, but I didn’t listen to it that much. Weird Al’s version, “You’re Pitiful”, was pretty funny, too.

Tags: Pop Culture, Music by TK
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Click on photo to watch this clip on You Tube

I’m of the generations that watch several Christmas specials each year. Bing Crosby’s Christmas special was the king. Bing Crosby singing White Christmas shouts out “Christmas is here!” to me. I also loved the Bing and Bowie duet, “Little Drummer Boy”
Hat tip to Classic TV blog!

Tags: Christmas by TK
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I betcha haven’t played a game this hard in a while!

Hat tip to Ballpoint Wren!

Tags: winter, games by TK
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I guarantee you that no one is paying me to write any post. I wonder, though, whether or not I would even do it.  It would be tempting to get paid to write about products and services that I try, but it would have to be written on a separate blog from my own personal blog.  However, I don’t think that is what the participating advertisers want.

NEW YORK (AP) -A company that helps advertisers connect with bloggers willing to write about their products for payment will now require disclosures amid criticism and a regulatory threat.

Tags: Blog-keeping by TK
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I have found this story fascinating. Maybe I find it interesting because I have two teenagers and am immersed in their world. Or maybe it is because I made a few dumb moves my first year and a half of college. And maybe it is because of the interesting twist that this story of grace took in the interview…

Trump decides not to fire Miss USA

The Associated Press

Updated: 6:44 p.m. CT Dec 19, 2006

NEW YORK - Donald Trump gave Miss USA a reprieve Tuesday, allowing the boozing beauty queen to retain her title after she agreed to enter rehab and undergo drug testing.

In a moment of television drama filled with redemptive tears and longing looks, a tough-talking Trump, co-owner of the pageant, turned soft and decided to forgive Tara Conner for her debauched behavior.

“I’ve always been a believer in second chances,” said Trump, who owns the Miss Universe Organization and Miss USA with NBC. “Tara is going to be given a second chance.”

Trump met with Conner earlier Tuesday morning fully expecting to fire her, he said. But he walked away convinced the young woman was a “good person” with a “good heart” and not deserving of the boot….At the news conference, in a tear-choked voice, Conner said, “In no way did I think it would be possible for a second chance to be given to me.”

Turning to Trump, she said, “You’ll never know what this means to me, and I swear I will not let you down.”

The first part of the story conveyed a touching example of grace, but that last sentence has me worried. Perhaps it is way too soon to analyze her statements, but I would think that any step toward sobriety would include the realization that at any moment you could fall again. To swear that you will never fall again sets you up for failure. My thoughts on grace are that we are totally undeserving and cannot do anything of our own accord to keep it within the grasp of our hands. Grace is a gift which remains in the hands of the giver, Grace demands that you keep walking right next to the giver in order to keep the gift. Of course, in Conner’s case, I don’t recommend that she walk right next to Trump!

Romans 3:6-8:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Tags: Religion by TK
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Tags: Christmas by TK
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Today my dog farted, thus ending a long family debate of whether this was even possible. We weren’t wondering if gas exists in dogs; we already knew that. We were wondering if there were ever audible evidence. There is. Joy. I’m sure that the massive amounts of table scraps he achieves each day has something to do with that. Or maybe it’s the deer antlers. Yes, deer antlers. My dog’s latest toy is a set of deer antlers.  They provide hours of happiness for Kirby.

Tags: dogs by TK
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From Shelley’s Talk blog, comes this fun quiz…
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Egg Nog is just for Christmas, Cocoa is all year long

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?

Always wrapped and set under the tree

3. Colored or white lights on the tree and/or house?

Both, but more white than not. It the darkness of December in Minnesota, white lights on things are essential.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

Does a plastic mistletoe ball from Menard’s count?

5. When do you put your decorations up?

In October, my hubbie starts stringing the lights on the house and trees, pounding in the candy cane fence and star garden, and putting the huge sign and snowflakes on the roof, since we can’t predict when the cold weather will arrive. The inflatables, lighted trees and plastic figures come out of the shed right before Thanksgiving. Yeah, we’re one of “those” people…

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

I have no favorite Christmas foods outside of the cookies. My favorite dishes would be Thanksgiving-type foods.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child.

Santa - visiting Santa and taking pictures, and then waiting for him to bring our presents. My parents really did a nice job with the Santa aspect of Christmas - not overdone or artificial, but very magical and sweet.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I really don’t remember any big revelations, other than secretly finding presents in the hall closet of our apartment one December that were later from Santa. I was the oldest of four kids, so I was expected to keep Santa alive for my siblings. I do remember once being told, around age 10 or 11, that if you don’t believe Santa is real, then don’t expect any Santa presents.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Yes! We get to choose one present. Lately, my parents have been having present opening on Christmas Eve, so family gifts get opened then.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

In a non-Kirby year, we have a beautiful tree up the weekend following Thanksgiving. Lights first, then garlands and then ornaments. Sometimes, we’ve had two trees; one more fun and kid-oriented in the basement and one in the living room with the more special ornaments. With an 8 month old 85 pound black lab, we don’t have our tree up and it is less than ten days before Christmas. For sure, my special ornaments won’t make it out of the Christmas box this year.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it?

Snow is the most wonderful part of winter. I can’t imagine living without snow. There’s a song I love by Taylor Hicks that starts out, “It’s funny how my life changes with the snow…” My life, my world, revolves around the season, since each season in Minnesota is so distinct.

12. Can you ice skate?

Yes! I love to skate. I prefer indoors and I love the smell of whatever chemical makes the ice frozen. Is that bad?

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

I think it would have to be the huge castle my father assembled for my brother and I when we were around 4 or 5.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Christ is the center of Christmas, of course, and the season wouldn’t be the same without the Advent Services and Christmas Eve service. So, I guess that family, friends and community are the most important aspect of Christmas.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Cookies and candies, the homemade ones. Yeah, I have a big sweet tooth!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

I love Christmas, but I know I love it most for the secular traditions that were born of a once-Christian culture: lights, trees, presents, songs, foods, etc.

17. What tops your tree?

A star or an angel…we have both and it just depends on how I decorated that year.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?

Well, I love to receive, but I also love to give. I like to think that most people put as much time into the presents they choose for me and as I do for them.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Caroling, Caroling by Natalie Cole

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or yum?

In a perfect world, I would live on candy canes.

Please copy this to your own blog, answer the questions and let me know!  Thanks again to Shelley for creating this quiz!

Tags: Christmas by TK
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