An awesome gift after 50 years

I dug up my old Buffalo sweatshirt from the basement as the UB Bulls play their first-ever bowl game. I thought it was their first-ever invitation also. What I didn't know was that the UB Bulls actually were invited to a bowl game 50 years ago, in 1958. The team unanimously turned down that invitation and didn't get to play. The reason? There were two black players on the team, and the bowl game was in Florida, which still had segregation laws.

What an awesome, fitting tribute if the Bulls can win the first bowl game they've been invited to since then... 50 years later. Very cool not only that UB is on ESPN(2), but also that many of the players from the 1958 game are there today, including Willie Evans.

Chocolate in a box

I was a bad girl and didn't bring gifts for my coworkers this year before the holidays. I usually do. However, it's important to note that I only got gifts from two coworkers, so I guess this was a trend. Now that I think about it, I didn't get many last year either, but that's not what it's all about.

So, I'm making some candies and desserts to bring in on Monday. I'll wrap them up using funky origami boxes made out of my long-unused scrapbooking paper. Not the good paper, but the big pad of designs that I never used. The good paper will be saved for one day when I actually scrapbook again :)



Truth be told, scrapbooking paper makes awesome origami paper!

Gingerbread Alien

The girl made this "gingerbread alien" at the family holiday party at work. She has to make things complicated.

Playing hooky from the family

I never do the girls night out thing. Not that I'm not up for it - I always am! - but never can synch schedules with others to actually get out. Today, two other ladies and I decided to run off to a matinee, and ended up staying out later than expected. It was fun, even if the husbands weren't too thrilled.

We saw "Twilight", very popular with teen girls lately, and it was better than I thought it would be. It's a hit book series, but I normally wouldn't know that because, well, I just don't read. The husband wanted to take the boy to this movie because it was about vampires, but I talked him out of it because mostly, it's a love story. But it had enough meat to keep me interested in the movie. But, what's up with vampires and baseball??

We then did something I never did before: We went to a "double feature". I know I've always been a goodie-two-shoes but I'm not quite sure why I never strolled in to see a second movie after watching a first. I mean, my parents do it, even! Anyway, I can check that off my "to do before I die" list, which I've been keeping for the past 20 years.

Armed with a second small bag of popcorn (which cost almost FREAKING $4), we went into the next theater. Not too difficult considering there are move than TWENTY movies playing at once in this theater. I texted the husband to let him know why we weren't coming back. Of course, he doesn't really text, so I ended up calling him to make sure he got the message.

The second movie we chose was "Seven Pounds". This movie was also mostly a love story. I had seen a short preview on Leno or something or other, but didn't really know what I was getting into. A very haunting movie about (*****SPOILER*****) why you shouldn't use your blackberry while driving. Or why you shouldn't work too much. Or why you should enjoy your life, every moment of it. I cry at everything, including commercials, so I was bawling for approximately 1/3 of this film. Will Smith rocks. And I'm going to lay off the blackberry in the car.

(***** END SPOILER *****)

The ladies and I continued to stay out and went for dinner at one of my favorite pan-asian places. Yum, roti canai, dumplings, thai spring rolls, stuffed eggplant, and more. Special sushi rolls next time!

Came home to the husband and kids watching scary movies on TV. Curled up on the couch with them - can't beat it!

Does blogging slow down Father Time?

Well, does it? I'm counting on that premise. I have the worst memory in the world, and although I've blogged on and off over the years, it hasn't been enough to keep my kids from growing up too fast.

Blogging regulary is my #1 resolution. I'm counting on it to allow me to savor every moment and enjoy the little things in life. Time goes by too fast and I have lost too much of it by not writing it down!

In honor of New Year's and making resolutions, I present to you one of my old blogs. I wrote it as a self-affirmation when going through a major job and life change. It was a very difficult time in my life, and I'm a better person from having gone through it. I've gotten much better since then, but it still applies, every day.