Alyssa’s Blog…a modern day diary of the random thoughts of Alyssa Amsbaugh

It’s Thanksgiving and I’m preparing the family dinner. Only instead of turkey, I’m making steak. In a toaster oven. Which opens from the side, not the front. And the steak keeps getting caught on something inside. So I end up serving these little pieces of steak.

Sitting at the table with our family is Yuri Langer, a guy I worked with who recently left the company. I figure he’s here because he’s Russian and we’re Ukrainian (so we’re “related”). That, and he often told me that he wanted to meet my parents!

Anyway, while I’m alone in the kitchen cooking, the doors to the microwave oven, a small refrigerator, and the toaster oven fly open. I’m freaked out, but not as much as I will be when I try to close those doors but encounter resistance…BY GHOSTS!

I talk to my mother about this. I tell her it only happens when I’m alone, I can’t duplicate the situation when she’s there. She isn’t spooked at all…takes it as very matter of fact. She accepts that I’m sensitive to ghosts. (OK, this is NOT like my mother! LOL)

Apparently I’ve had other encounters because JR tells me that it’s time for me to consult someone about my psychic abilities. (OK, this is NOT like my husband! LOL)

idk, maybe I watch too many scary shows! I do love them so. Even though I don’t believe in ghosts. I think we scare ourselves far better than any spectre or ghoul could. So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t book me an appointment with a psychiatrist just yet! LOL

Yeah, I’ve been doing a lot of painting in the house lately. And this weekend I had ANOTHER cRaZy dream. No, make that TWO cRaZy dreams! The second one, though, I’m going to chalk up to the large Pecos Peach margarita that I just had at Lone Star Steakhouse and the chocolate-frosted Dunkin Donuts I later had for dessert.

SIDEBAR

Last night JR and I decided to get out of the house for some much-needed fresh air. We were headed to the Olive Garden in Easton, PA, but the parking lot was packed and there was a bus disguised as an “executive limousine” out front. wtf? Not a great disguise if you ask me. (What part of “limousine” don’t you get?) Anyway, a BUS at the Olive Garden? Damn it, we’ll never get seated!

Instead, we opted for the Lone Star Steakhouse (situated right next door). Where I had a well-done filet mignon wrapped in bacon, served with garlic mashed potatoes and a lettuce wedge salad. Oh, and a large Pecos Peach margarita! LOL Everything was great and we decided to call this our belated 18th wedding anniversary dinner.

OK, BACK TO OUR STORY…

The dream from which I awoke today was a continuation of a cRaZy dream I’ve had once before. Aliens invade Earth. All electronic devices shut down. Everyone cowers in their homes. Very ’50s sci fi, right? This time I’m with my Aunt Rose and cousin Marilyn in their apartment. I’ve got a ton of groceries. Including freezer goods. And for some reason, they have my Aunt Jo and Uncle John’s freezer in their apartment. And I have to open it because I’ve got frozen food to put inside.

That freezer is important as the aliens are attracted to gold. And although we don’t know it yet, there’s gold in that freezer. And 3 aliens. Two of which look human. And a third one that has an “alien” face but a human-looking body. (Funny how food AND 3 aliens fit into a normal-looking freezer! LOL Oh well, that’s Hollywood!)

Anyway, when we hear a buzzing and the electronic devices die, we all know it’s because the aliens have returned. I opt to jump out the kitchen window and run to my car, parked nearby. Now somehow I’m in a warehouse. Everyone is scared shitless. I go out into a fog and see a large crowd of people who were abducted by the aliens on a previous visit. They’re walking to the warehouse. I don’t believe they are human and I run back to the warehouse, where scientists are examining those 3 frozen aliens…and bringing them back to life. Turns out the mothership returned for these guys. (OK, and probably the gold, too.) We make nice. Earth survives to live another day. But can I survive another one of these dreams???

In my family, we do what we call a “pollyanna” gift exchange at Christmas. It’s what the rest of the world knows as “secret santa.”

The origins of this family tradition go way back to when I was a kid; maybe even before! Originally everybody bought everybody gifts. Then everyone started having kids. Of course everyone always bought presents for the kids. But buying for the adults AND the kids got to be an expensive proposition and the grown-ups felt that they didn’t need anything anyway. Thus our pollyanna was born.

I always thought pollyanna was a lot of fun. When I was a kid, I participated by running the whole shebang. I wrote each person’s name on a little slip of paper, folded those papers into tiny squares, tossed them into a saucepan, stirred them around with a wooden spoon, and then offered them to each adult. As I got older, I also compiled and distributed the coveted wish lists. And as I got older still, I also got to play!

While I’m usually still the point person for this tradition, this year my cousin wanted to run it so I graciously stepped aside.

Anyway, there aren’t many rules to our pollyanna.

- The spend limit is $50.00 (although we can and often do spend more).

- If you pick your own name, you have to put it back and pick again.

- If this happens to the final person who picks, all of the names go back into the saucepan and we all have to pick again.

On Christmas Eve, we mutually decide who gets to start the gift-giving. The person who receives the first gift then gives a gift to his or her pollyanna, and so on, and so on, and so on down the line.

There are a lot of fake-outs, with everyone trying to make it look like their gift is going to someone other than the person whom they picked. I love it!

This year’s players include my Mom and Dad, Olga and Eugene; my godmother, Marilyn; my brother, Martin; his wife, Janice; their son, Christopher; my cousins, Linda and Christine; my husband, JR; and of course me.

I just want to go on record and say that I went out to 1 store this morning, purchased my pollyanna gift, and came home. Yep, I get right down to business! Nice of me to brave the crowds, no? There was a one-day sale and I saved $70 on my gift. List? I don’t need no stinkin’ list! What a renegade I am this year! WHATEVER! My person will just deal with it…AND LOVE IT!!! ;>

Yeah, I’m stalling because I don’t want to get up, but I also am really concerned about my buddy Dianne. She has been sick with flu-like symptoms. I just wanted to say HI (in case you are reading this blog, as you usually do) and I HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER SOON! Hang in there, girlfriend, it’s a three-day work week!

WEATHER UPDATE: We interupt this blog for an important weather update. IT’S SNOWING! AND THAT SNOW IS STICKING! We now return you to our regular blog.

Damn it! I never got to mow the grass one more time! Which is important as I don’t rake leaves anymore, I just mulch them. Now I’ll have a soggy mess on my hands when this eventually melts! @#$?!& Oh well.

If you already can’t tell, I’m stalling because I have ants in my pants today. It feels like a holiday and when it FEELS like a holiday I DON’T want to go to work! LOL Oh well, I guess I have to do, as my friend Deb likes to say, “put on my big girl panties” and just get on with it. My shower awaits. And my snow boots, comforter, and pillow are in the car in the event I have car trouble. This habit is the result of years of urging by my Dad. He worries about me. A lot. And I tend to say “Yes, Dad.” A lot. And since I don’t want to lie to my father, I really DO keep cold weather supplies in the car!

Ok, now I’m down to the wire. Thank God I don’t care what I look like for work! LOL

It’s Saturday morning and I awakened at 6:49 a.m. to the familiar “ping” of my cell phone, which is conveniently charging on the nightstand next to my bed. That “ping” means I’ve gotten a text message…COOL!

Anyway, when read the message, it’s from J.R. It’s his standard “On my way home” message sent a little after midnight. (He works 2nd shift and does this to let me know when he’s coming home. This is the result of an incident years ago where I must have screamed every octave in every tone range out of pure fright…I was sleeping and he scared the you-know-what out of me! More on that in another blog! LOL)

So I guess I SHOULD be scared now. I mean, if J.R. is just NOW on his way home, WHO is that snoring in bed next to me? LOL I check to see and yep, it’s what I figured…IT’S J.R.! wtf?

Conspiracy theorists would blame this on a wire tap by our government, but I know better. It’s just our stupid phone service, the higly recognizable “AT&T,” which later decided to change its name to “Cingular,” which later decided to change its name BACK to “AT&T.” If they can’t even get their name straight, how are they supposed to supply me with TIMELY messaging service? Get with the program, ppl! I LOVE text messaging! It’s so convenient and fun! Or should be, anyway.

SIDEBAR

Getting back to the snoring, I honestly think it works its way into my subconscious and THAT’S why I dream of grizzly bears. (Snoring? Growling? Very similar! Get the connection?) The premise of these dreams is always the same…I’m in a hurry on my way somewhere in a natural setting and every time I come across a grizzly bear or group of bears, I have to alter my path. Freud can analyze the hell out of this some other time; I’m awake now and have to get to the bank before it closes! LOL See ya!

Got my hair cut over the weekend, this being the second time in as many weeks. Yes, I’m trying to maintain a shorter cut. The problem with thick hair like mine that grows like weeds is that you need to get your hair cut on time. When it’s overgrown, it gets heavy and flops! That’s also why I can’t live without layered hair.

Anyway, my Dad hadn’t seen me since my last haircut. And I guess I’m just used to seeing it this way now? idk, but it took Dad by surprise and he commented on how REALLY SHORT it is! I was like, Dad! I did this on purpose! And I like it! LOL

So I guess now I am taking a poll. Feel free to cast your vote here by adding a comment. I promise not to take offense…and I’m going to do what I damn well please anyway! LOL

I’ve been having a problem with pressure in my left ear. Of course I ended up making an appointment to see my family doctor, who has been my primary physician for more than 20 years. We have a great relationship. He really listens to me and always fits me in when I’m sick. But this particular time he couldn’t see me until the next night, so I followed a friend’s urging and decided to see someone else right away. Just in case I needed an antibiotic. In case this was an ear infection. Or a sinus infection. But I digress…

So I turn to another wonderful doctor of mine, in whom I also have all the confidence in the world. He has been my allergist for more than 20 years…he’s simply the best. He, too, is completely booked, but his receptionist says she can fit me in with the physician’s assistant. Do I want to see him?

Normally my answer would be no; I’m loyal to my doctors and prefer to see MY doctors…this is how the doctor-patient relationship is born, yes? But I don’t want to wake up in excruciating pain in the middle of the night if I can help it. Beggars can’t be choosers, any port in a storm, etc., etc., etc., so I make the appointment.

While there’s probably some merit to the PA’s diagnosis (that my problem is due to a muscular condition that somehow can cause TMJ), I get the feeling he diagnoses this a lot, like it’s some personal crusade. He seemed more interested in talking about himself than me and struck me as a little “out there.” For the record, I’m not ready to consult a TMJ specialist as recommended. After all, this is the FIRST jaw pain I’ve ever experienced! idk, I just didn’t have confidence in him and I can’t quite put my finger on why. So I pay my $20, choose NOT to make a follow-up appointment with him in three months, and follow my gut, which is to keep the appointment with my family doctor the next night.

Guess what? Per my family doctor, my ear drum is BULGING from pressure building up from a blocked eustachian tube. (This tube helps drain the sinuses.) So I pay my $20, walk away with a nasal spray as well as a prescription for more of the nasal spray should I run out of the sample before the condition clears up, and now feel I wasn’t silly at all to see 2 doctors for 1 condition.

Like I said. It’s the best $20 I ever spent…twice!

said the spider to the fly! Well, welcome to my freshly painted living room and dining room anyway! LOL

I know once you see the pictures you’ll be asking yourself, “What took her so long? Those rooms are small!” But even this wasn’t easy. The living room was a lovely shade of light green…difficult to cover with ivory paint! And the bottom half of the dining room walls were once wallpapered…to hide plaster in horrible shape. (Yes, this is a very old house with plaster walls and ceilings.) We spackled, sanded, and painted them into their much-improved present condition. And I, for one, am very happy with the results!

We have yet to replace the real blinds and curtains in the dining room…didn’t want to ruin them with spackle or paint. And I want to get a mirror to put on the wall over the buffet. I’m not 100% done with these rooms yet but I thought I’d give the curious a peek into my world.

No surprises here, right? There’s oak furniture, crocheted doilies, lace curtains, roses, pink glassware, and overhead fans featuring “crystal” pulls and frosted glass. What more could a girl want? LOL Seriously, to me it’s very cozy and warm…country without much clutter. A happy, comfortable, inviting space. I have many houseware treasures but have learned to rotate them, putting some on display while others go back into storage.

Check out the couch! Yes, this is THE famous couch where I love to stretch out, resting my head on several pillows (in coordinating burgundy pillowcases, of course!), to catch up on programs recorded on TiVo.

What do you think of our hutch? I don’t think you’ll see many as lovely as this one any more. My favorite feature is the mirror running the length of the space between the upper and lower halves…very old-fashioned and right up my alley. It even has interior lights. I used to also have two do-it-yourself corner hutches (where the captain’s chairs are). Stained them myself and “featured” all sorts of neat stuff on the three shelves. So adorable…made it look like store displays. BUT they do make the room look smaller so they had to go to storage.

Truth be told, if you know me well you know that I can’t stand contemporary style. And I prefer old houses with character and charm to new ones. And of all the hotels at Disney World, the one I’d least like to stay at would have to be the Contemporary! LOL Oh, I’m sure it’s lovely and tastefully decorated, but “new” and “modern” does nothing for my soul.

Anyway, welcome to my world! And BTW, if you click on each picture, you’ll see a larger version of it. Enjoy!

It’s so nice and warm in my bed that I didn’t want to get up this morning! I love a chill in the air, maybe because it makes such a contrast between being in bed and getting up. IF I COULD stay in bed, it would be one of life’s simple pleasures.

Even though it’s officially fall (and feels more like winter), I don’t like wearing much to bed. I like to feel the cool sheets against my skin, especially my legs and feet. God forbid, I’d never wear flannel! LOL No long sleeves or sweats for me!

Oh well, that’s enough pondering for now. I was just stalling, using this blog time to get acclimated to the chill in the air. I’m awake now. I’ll see you later, bed! It’s off to work I go!

Yes, yesterday I managed to overcome my INTENSE desire for a coffee Coolatta with French vanilla. idk how I did that! LOL Probably because I was in a hurry and there was no Dunkin Donuts with a drive-through near me!

No, seriously, I just said “no!”

My only justification for having one would have been that I was so tired. Instead I had a huge diet Pepsi. (Couldn’t find a diet Mountain Dew, the only average soda with the most caffeine known to man. I say “average” in that it isn’t Jolt or some other brand specifically made to blow caffeine off all known charts.) Oh, and BTW, I don’t understand why I have such a hard time finding DIET Mountain Dew bottled in six-packs or even individually in those enticing mini fridges by the supermarket check-out. What up with that?

Anyway, had I succumbed to this delicious frosty coffee treat, I would have felt terrible afterward. I guess kind of like some ppl would feel after a one-night stand? I am, after all, a woman who’s as good as her word. And I don’t make that many promises to myself. And while some treats are OK, there is simply no way to parcel this one into a smaller “fun” size.

SO TAKE THAT, coffee Coolatta! Score one for me! I’ll hurry up and lose that weight so we can get together again real soon! ;>