My cocktail

From Rachel Hope and Michelle's blogs:

The Recipe For Betsey

3 parts Sensitivity 2 parts Inspiration 1 part Courage Splash of Cleverness Chug!

What's" the Recipe for Your Personality?

Hoopla!

Here are the rules:1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.I was tagged by Rachel to list the 12 random things about myself that have to do with Christmas.

1. I'm addicted to Egg Not Lattes.
2. My favorite movie, I havent seen in years..and for the life of me cant remember the name. But they had a Thanksgiving version and a Christmas version and the girls name was Addie..I think it was set in the 30's?
3. We go to Christmas Eve at my dad's cousins.
4. We used to sometime celebrate Christmas 'Day' on the 26th. My dad was a firefighter and would have to work some years..so we'd do the traditional Christmas Eve thing and then 'santa' would come on the 26th..my parents always said it was a nice break for him. Although when we were super young..Santa would come early and we'd celebrate with Santa coming on the 24th.
5. I have not put up a tree in 3 years.
6. I'm allergic to all things Christmas Tree (the real live kind..whether, pine, fir or cedar) and sneeze uncontrollably, unless I'm hopped up on allergy meds.
7. My little tree has a blue/white/silver theme to it.
8. My mom has a whole storage box of ornaments I hope to put on my 'big tree' some year, of ornaments, I've rec'd since I was a baby. She has them tagged with the year and who gave it to me. On a TINY jewelry tag.
9. One of my fondest memories is the Holiday Party my grandparents used to have. I was never old enough to attend as a 'guest' but super young, my parents would bring us and we'd say hello in our jammies and then go upstairs to my aunts room to sleep. As we were older (jr high/early high school) we'd serve hors d'ouevres. My uncle picked up the tradition this year.
10. My dad will either make Egg's St. Anne (his own concoction I'm sure) or some sort of dish with Hollandaise (either Egg's Benedict or Turkey Hash) for breakfast Christmas morning.
11. Santa fills our stockings and puts gifts under the tree!
12. I still believe!!

I am tagging: Keith, Shell & Jan and my sister & Donna can chime in on the comment sections since they're not bloggers.

Small World!

My boss took her direct reports to lunch yesterday. We went to Osha for some yummy Thai food..of course did I branch out? nope..got my normal Chicken Pad Se Yeew. Just love that dark soy sauce on those rice noodles! And while my not branching out keeps my world small..that is not the subject of my post. I sat next to, and got to know our Sales/Use Tax manager. He had mentioned on the walk over that he and his family just bought a fixer upper. While we were at lunch, I asked him where he lived..so he mentioned they just moved to Walnut Creek from San Ramon. No big deal..he then asks where I live..I told him Burlingame..he then says he grew up in San Bruno..two cities away..no big deal. He then asks if I grew up in Burlingame..and I told him..yep..all my life. Next he asks..or says..it's fuzzy at this point..did I go to Mercy..or that his sisters went to Mercy..as soon as he tells me his sisters went to Mercy..I shout out...Odessa Sebastian (his last name is Sebastian..in case you didnt know). Odessa and I were in the same graduating class together (all 98 of us)...he's her brother. Can you believe that? I dont think I've seen Odessa but maybe once since we've graduated (I didnt attend either 10 or 20 year reunion)..and here I am working with her brother. He was going to go right back and email her..and she only lives in San Mateo (one city away)....small world. Hope I can catch up with her soon, as while we werent exactly close friends, I do remember her fondly, and would love to get re-acquainted!

Photo a Day

Argh...I remember this from last year...the december Photo a Day challenge..and I'm already 2 ,about to be 3, days behind... I have a picture from the 1st..just need to upload..but not since. It's month end so i've been in close land, not seeing the light of day..nor the lights of night to take a photo. Hopefully tomorrow I should be caught up..and can get back on this...I'd love to do a scrapbook page with all of these! Does it count if i take countless photos of my nephew & niece next weekend?

Here's my picture from Decmeber 1st - the Fiskateer Nor Cal Christmas Party. It was a blast!