Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful ...

It sounds like we're in store for a good ol' fashioned snowstorm in the next 24 hours. I'm ready. All my errands for the weekend have been run, including purchasing replacement studded cleats for my running shoes (I wore them all last winter and the strap finally broke. There's no fixing it. Chatted with Jim Li at Running Room). Plenty of food in the house. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music is playing on my iPod (presently listening to Fum, Fum, Fum). And everything I'd need to start making Christmas cookies. :-) Life. Is. Good. Dilema ... to bake or not to bake for OSS Saturday morning? If we indeed get 5-7" of snow, I probably won't make it out to Folwell Drive at that early hour. We don't usually get a plow in here for many hours after a snowfall and my Honda usually gets stuck/bottoms out trying to make it up the little incline leading out to Folwell. Hmmmm ... to bake or not to bake? ... Stay tuned.

Someone has offered up his new, never-been-used Sole F83 treadmill (retail $1800) for $300. I'm going to go look at it next week. Very tempting. I have a feeling I'm going to keep tweaking my hamstring all winter on the ice and should probably consider a dreadmill as much as I dislike them.

So ... Monday is the big day. Rochester will finally get a Trader Joe's. Seems like TJs engenders either a "love it!" or "I don't understand the hype" reaction in most people. I'm in the "love it!" camp. Can't wait. But I won't be there at 8 AM on Monday. Not a chance. It'll be a zoo.

Yesterday at work I needed to drop off some papers to the office next door. Dan had just gotten 12 dozen beautiful brown chicken eggs delivered and they were up for grabs. I said I'd take a dozen. He said I could have more than that if I wanted them. I said I'd trade him for some cookies. He gave me 4 dozen!

Yesterday I had lunch with 9 friends at my friend Georgia's house. We've been getting together for many, many years. We all had kids in grade school together. Georgia is remodeling her house and it looks wonderful. She's really got an eye for design. I went into the bathroom and what did I see, but a snowman I'd made for the school holiday craft bazaar probably 12 years ago.

Lunching together were ...

(from lower right) Kathy, Sue, Jeanne, Shirley, Kay, Joy, Lori, Georgia

Kathy, Sue, Jeanne, Shirley, Kay, Joy

We have a great time together every December. We always go around the table and share what's been going on in our lives during the past year. It's mostly laughter, raucous laughter, ...

Georgia (love that sweater!), Lori (fun coat!), Joy (cute skirt!)

but sometimes tears, as it was for me yesterday. They're a very special group of women. I'm so happy to be able to call all of them my friends. We had a delicious lunch of two soups (Joy's milk-based soup with dill, potatoes, green beans and Georgia's tomato basil), Kay's salad (greens, Craisins, cashews, cheese), my bread (the Asiago had issues as I posted yesterday, but everyone liked it) and Lori's Red Velvet cake.

I had just a little sliver of the cake. When I was little, I had some Red Velvet cake which contained a red food dye (#2?) that I reacted to. My lips swelled up and got just ginormous. I'll never forget it. I think they've since changed the food dye formulations or taken that one off the market. But ever since, I've been very leary about ingesting Red Velvet cake. But I had a sliver and then a few minutes later, Lori said I was getting red blotches all over my face. Very. Funny. Lori. :-)

After lunch (didn't leave until almost 4:00) I made a quick stop at Sam's Club. Bought healthy stuff (except for DC ... Diet Coke, and chocolate chips).

My most interesting items in the cart (in my opinion anyway) ...

pomegranate arils (seeds .. much easier than getting out those seeds by yourself), orange cherry tomatoes (so sweet) and imported Irish butter, a seasonal splurge. I'll see if it tastes any different than my domestic fave, Land O'Lakes (unsalted for baking, salted for eating). Stay tuned.

Then it was a quick change at home before Jeanne picked me up for our girls' night out. We first made our way to Chester's for dinner. It was very crowded. I was surprised being it was Thursday and only about 6:00. Must have been some of the pre-concert crowd. I had the Chester's Chicken Chopped Salad (should have had them hold the Anableu cheese) on the server's recommendation. I'd asked about the salad on the current "specials" list (greens, Fuji apples, figs, squash, ...) but she recommended this one over that.

Then it was off to the main event ... the Lorie Line Holiday Extravaganza. Jeanne and I have been coming to her concert for what must be close to 15 years. We tried to figure it out last night. Anyway, the show isn't quite as elaborate and almost over-done as in some years, but it's always very relaxing and entertaining. Lorie really knows how to put on a show, play the piano (her Meldelssohn piece last night was incredible), and stay super slim. I'm envious.

Tim Line as Elvis

Her fiddler, Hannah Kalisch, was only 22, very talented, and cute as a button

Rock guitarists when they're not performing with Lorie, David Young and Ian Allison

Kids in the audience got in on the 12 Days of Christmas

What a fun day. :-) I think I should get busy doing other things, things not in cyberspace.

Happy Birthday, dad. I love you.

Your "little girl",
Nay Nay