Things I Realized This Week
by Jenners • 12/11/2010 • Confessions, My Take On... • 93 Comments
- I will probably never solve Rubik’s Cube. While we were cleaning out a cabinet earlier this week, I found one and tried for about 45 minutes to get just one side with all the same colors. It wasn’t happening. It probably never will happen.
- I’m totally lacking Christmas spirit. If I don’t find it fast, I’m going to have to do some world-class faking come Christmas morning. We did put our tree up this afternoon after the Little One badgered us to do it all week long. I think he was afraid Christmas wouldn’t come if the tree wasn’t up.
I was completely insane when I thought I could have a little bag of Lindt Chocolate Truffles in the house and dole them out to myself at the rate of one a day. Why I would believe this despite 43 years of evidence saying otherwise, I’ll never know. (Do I really need to tell you that the bag is gone?)
- If you change the permalink structure on your blog and have to go back and fix 565 broken links, you will take a walk down memory lane as you visit almost all 700+ blog posts you’ve written over the past two years. It was actually kind of interesting to see my blog evolve over time, and I now realize what a wonderful record of our life it is.
- A Charlie Brown Christmas is way different than I remember it. How about that whole religious speech that Linus gives in the middle? What about the odd pacing and stilted dialogue? Seeing it again after years, I realize that the highlights are the music and Snoopy, and I’m not sure why I remembered it so fondly. (Though I totally agree with its premise that Christmas is overcommercialized.)
- On the other hand, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (the Boris Karloff-narrated, animated version) is pretty much exactly as I remembered it.
- Once I hit 100 books on my 100+ book reading challenge, I totally slacked off on my reading. I’ve been reading the same book for the past week, which is totally unprecedented.
- My gray hair to brown hair ratio is about 5 to 1. That isn’t good.
Here’s hoping that I find my Christmas spirit in the coming week and dye my hair!
I was given that same bag of chocolates! It’s torture. I hate that I looked at the calorie and fat content. Please, do I really need that info?? My battle with gray seems to be ongoing. I hope that I don’t put up the white flag of surrender soon.
I swing between not caring about the gray and then having to do something about it RIGHT THEN. And chocolate is something I can never ever resist . (As you know!)
The downside to really short hair (as opposed to just short hair) is that the gray seems to show up MUCH quicker, and you spend more money and time trying to hide the little bastards. Not that I’m speaking from personal experience or anything.
My mom recently suggested I stop coloring my hair. I laughed, somewhat hysterically. Like that’s going to happen. Just because she has gray hair doesn’t mean I have to!
We have a box set of Charlie Brown specials, and all of the dialogue is stilted. It’s quite weird.
Yes … the gray does show up quicker. And you still have to pay the same amount of money to dye it even though you only need a quarter of the box. I vacillate between not caring about it and caring a lot.
I know you’ll find your Christmas spirit at least before the gray hairs overtake you.
Well, it will be a very close race!
I’m struggling to get into the Christmas mood too. I suppose spending 10 days in Hawaii and not getting back until early this month didn’t help. I think I thought it was summer or something!
I’m sure vacationing in Hawaii isn’t exactly conducive to getting in the holiday spirit … but I’m willing to find out to be 100% sure!
Holidays are stressful. Denial is an easy way of coping. The solution is to simply.
As for the gray hair – I wish I’d bought stock in Bristol-Myers back in the 1960s when only your hairdresser knew for sure. I sure don’t know. Even now. That’s a fact.
Well, I’m pretty sure everyone knows for sure that I don’t do anything about my hair.
And I’m trying to simplify as much as possible.
Bah humbug on dyeing your hair! I’m a big fan of the natural look myself (and quite like the silver in my brown). I can relate to the lack of Christmas spirit — although I’ve been thinking that maybe this year, for once, we should get a tree…!
I vacillate between the “natural” look and feeling like I need to dye it … right now, the dyeing is winning!
We just watched that movie! Love the cat and squirrel in the tree parts!
I could not resist chocolate either although I have lied to myself the same way about dark chocolate kisses, lol.
What are you doing messing around with dark chocolate kisses when you have your own custom made chocolate bar? : )
Wow, I agree with every single one of those! Except for the Christmas cheer one (I’m listening to Christmas music now!) and the hair one. (Though I’ll get there on the latter, I have no doubt!)
Maybe I need to start playing some Christmas music … perhaps that will do the trick. (Though putting up the tree helped a little tiny bit.)
And appreciate your gray-free hair while you can!!!
I love reading some of my old entries, especially the long drawn out ones, it reminds me of some of the crazier times, and now I can actually laugh at them!
Isn’t it a kick to read that old stuff? Some of it was just plain interesting because I’d already forgotten about some stuff.
Mine was Ghirardelli chocolates that I bought for presents. I ate some and rationalized it by saying to myself, “I’ll just add some of these other chocolates to the presents that I’m not as fond of.”
I put the boxes of chocolates I bought in the trunk of our truck so that I can’t see them every day and be tempted.
Oh, and rubik’s cubes are just pure evil!
Do you ever do this: make a treat for a party and then arrange it on another plate so you can have some for yourself beforehand? That is how pathetic I am!
Hahaha! I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I always do that! I figure if I’m making something (especially brownies) then they’re not going to miss about four or five of them.
I hope you find the Christmas spirit soon too!! I, oddly, have had enough to go around this year and I’m normally trying to find mine about this time! I have to say that I’m a fan of the recitation of Luke 2 in Charlie Brown’s Christmas!!
Well, if you could bundle up some of your extra Christmas spirit, I’d appreciate it!
I don’t think I ever got the Rubik’s cube solved either–even when I looked at a YouTube video on how to do it, I still couldn’t get it! There is a definite pattern to it that you need to follow though. Did they change “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” and knock out Linus’s speech? I assumed it was the same one I had seen before. Please tell me they didn’t knock that part out!
No … they kept the speech. Though it surprised me that is passes “muster” nowadays!
And I looked at the “answer” key that came with the Rubik’s cube and it didn’t help me either.
Ah, the Rubik’s cube. I not only gave up solving it, I ended up breaking the thing into pieces so I can cheat and pretend I had solved it. Of course, it was too much work putting it back together again so it’s just sitting somewhere at home, in pieces, collecting dust.
I, too, am lacking the Christmas spirit. It’s hard when I know I can’t decorate since we’ll be gone half the month. I also know that my family is not decorating either so it’s going to be one undecorated Christmas this year. Such a bummer for me. Partly why I can’t get into the Christmas mood.
100 books! Wow, I’ve always wondered how you can read through books so quickly and write so many reviews! I guess I’m just a really slow reader! You amaze me with your reading powers!
Sadly, reading fairly fast is my only special power.
And you’re the second person who mentioned pretending to cheat to solve Rubik’s cube. : )
Let’s hope we both manage to drum up some Christmas spirit.
I love that about cleaning. I always start with good intentions and then find myself so easily sidetracked, by say a photo album, greeting card collection or some such.
As to eating the holiday fare early; I am already desserting on the mince pies that I put aside for Christmas day. I figure there is still plenty of time to replenish the pantry before Christmas
After all, we wouldn’t want to serve a treat that we don’t know FOR SURE isn’t good, right? So you make one to eat yourself, make sure it is good, then make the “real” one!
Speaking of Charlie Brown, the Christmastime is Here song is free on iTunes right now. I LOVE that song. It’s sort of sad and it always makes me a bit blue but for some reason it’s not Christmas without it.
Thanks for the tip. I do love that song too even though it is a bit melancholy.
I kid myself about chocolate too….. and chips I pretend that I am buying for my hubby…. but lets get real… I am the snacker int he family
Well, I have some serious snacking competition in Mr. Jenners, but he doesn’t like the Lindt truffle balls so they are all mine to gorge on.
I’d have eaten all those chocolates as well, and I certainly understand the brown to grey ratio, I’m there, too. Don’t slack off on that reading you’re my push…
Thanks for the pep talk … I’ll pick up the slack!
I am having a hard time finding the Christmas spirit as well, and hope that it comes around sooner rather than later. Also, I have to hide chocolate from myself, as I will also eat the whole bag, and those Lindt truffles are my very favorite. Have you ever had the white chocolate ones with the flecks of cocoa in them? I think the wrapping is sky blue. And don’t feel bad about the rubik’s cube. I can’t even look at one of them without my hands getting sweaty, let alone solve one.
I’m addicted to the dark blue/royal blue Lindt truffles. They are so delicious that I keep going back and going back and next thing I know, the bag is empty. (Not they there are “enough” in there to begin with!)
My Christmas spirit is pretty non-existent this year too – maybe we could form a club or something. I’m sure I have way more gray hair than you do.
If our club could make cookies and talk books, I think I’d find myself finding my holiday spirit in no time!
And don’t be so sure about having more gray… my gray/silver hair actually sparkles under the lights!! I kid you not!
I did the same with chocolate chip cookies. Only 1 a day turned into 5 or 6.
I am allowing myself to gain weight over the holidays……….just because.
It is your gift to yourself. (Seriously, though, don’t undo all your hard work losing weight this year! I haven’t managed to lose any so I have no motivation.)
I’m a choc-o-holic so I can relate. I do hope you get to dye your hair this week and find your christmas spirit
Here’s a thought: I’ll dye my hair chocolate brown!
You always make me laugh! I had a hard time caring about anything Christmas as well. I guess I force myself to go through the motions for the sake of the kids. But the second they leave the house? Watch out. And I say don’t look too close to the hairs. I pay big bucks to my hairdresser to take care of that issue for me. Nobody really knows at this point what my real hair color is.
I do feel like I have to find the enthusiasm for the holidays just for my son … he needs me to have it, I think!
And I got my little box of Nice and Easy today … I should be “brown” for a least 6 to 8 weeks!
I wouldn’t have the slightest clue on how to change permalink structures, and definitely not how to fix it. I’m barely getting the hang of this wordpress thing.
If any bag of candy is left unopened, I can resist forever. Once it’s opened, I’m done for.
I got a little cocky about what I thought I knew … and learned a valuable lesson that some things ought to be left alone.
And an open bag of candy is just an invitation to eat.
I never have holiday spirit until about New Year. You’ll get there, eventually. ;O)
Well, I hope it arrives before New Years!!! (Does the champagne on NYE help? HAHA!)
I’m with you on the chocolates in the house. I was stressed out this week and took two hours to shop by myself – the first time- and came back with two bags of books and 2 slices of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory! Oh, and one thing for Jason for Christmas, LOL. Needless to say the cheesecake did not last 24 hours.
I think you have your priorities in order! : )
Love, love, love this blog post. Your Christmas spirit must be hanging out with mine–’cause I can’t find it either. I hope wherever the spirits are, they’re having a good time. And chocolates are to be eaten. That’s all I’ve got to say about that. Was able to solve the Rubik’s cube when it came out in the 80s. Once. After many, many, many days of trying. Wouldn’t even want to think about it now.
The one thing I’ve realized this week….that I must be absolutely crazy. I’ve signed up for eight reading challenges (nine if you count the one I’m sponsoring). I decided I needed a spread sheet to keep track of what I’m reading for each challenge. And discovered that at this point I’m already committed to reading 84 books…..And even knowing that, I see new challenges pop up and I think, “Oooh, maybe I could do that one too.” Step away from the book challenge posts, Bev.
It is the time of year to go a little crazy over book challenges, isn’t it? You’ve got a full year of reading already!!!! : )
And hats off to you for once being able to solve Rubik’s cube. I bow before you.
When I was a child I peeled off the stickers of my Rubik’s cube so I could complete it. (I did learn my lesson because it ended up cutting my skin under my nail. My lesson was learned with blood, lol).
And I adore Lindt chocolate. I have three bars sitting in my cabinet right now. Yum.
Baptism by blood! Ha! That is so funny that you switched the stickers … that never even occurred to me. That takes a child’s mind!
Add me to the list of never solving the Rubik’s Cube, and losing control over Lindt truffles –bet they were the blue ones (although I’d eat any color, who am I kidding)?
Yes … the blue ones!! You totally called it!
Long time no see! I haven’t blogged in a month, but I still get my fill of your humor since I subscribe by email!
I’m still waiting for my 16-year-old to say something before I put up our tree. Isn’t that awful? I think I totally skipped doing it last year, so maybe he’s used to not having one. I use the excuse that we go to California for Christmas so why bother putting up a tree if we’re not even going to be here. Seems to work.
Presents he will NOT forget about though, so I better get started on that soon. I’ve never procrastinated this badly in my life. Maybe I work better under pressure, who knows…
Too bad he didn’t forget about presents … it would be so much cheaper. Hope you get back into your blogging groove soon.
I am just impressed you played with a rubik’s cube for 45 minutes, I only last 45 seconds.
What can I say … I’m easily entertained.
Oh goodness, I do the same thing. I made Christmas cookies and then put them in the freezer because I figured that I could take some out when we went visiting. Well it turns out I like frozen chocolate chip cookies just as I like warm cookies. (I kinda shoulda figured). I’ll have to make more closer to the time of visiting.
I never tried frozen chocolate chip cookies … thanks for the tip!
I will never solve the Rubik’s Cube either. I firmly believe, however, that what has happened is that we are so crazy smart we have messed it up to the point where no one could solve it…not even us. That’s how smart we are.
Charlie Brown shocked me too! What a horrid little film. On a funny note though, my nephew who is 5 can’t stop calling him Charlie the Brown. I don’t know why, but it’s hilarious.
Charlie the Brown … so funny!!! My son was obsessed with Pig Pen. “Why does that boy have a dirt cloud around him? Why doesn’t he take a bath? Why does his mom and dad let him be all dirty?” All good questions I must say.
I’ve never liked Charlie Brown, it always depresses me. But I do love the music and the way they all take a breath and continue singing the “ooos” at the exact same instant. That always cracks me.
I’m a real Grinch too, I always get so overwhelmed by the holidays, they’re so stressful! It’s only fun for the people who don’t have to do all the work, i.e., shopping, baking, decorating, wrapping and mailing packages, travel plans, etc. And these are the same people that wonder why I dislike the holidays. . . . hmmm. I can’t wait for the day when I can skip it and just go on a vacation where I don’t have to deal with it AT ALL. Riiight.
And I’ve never managed more than a single side of a Rubik’s cube. And that was years ago. Frankly, I don’t think it would be a great advantage in life other than a really cool party trick. I make good chicken noises so that will have to do instead. I’ll probably get more mileage out of that in the long run!
If it wasn’t for my Little One, I think I would opt out of the holidays all together. It is worth it when he gets excited though.
And I’ll have to come up with a party trick of my own. I’m good at imitating flamingos so maybe that can be my thing.
We haven’t put up our tree yet and barely started buying Christmas presents this week. I just feel like hiding from it. It sounds like you’re ahead of me. Good luck with that. It’s so much harder with kids–especially as they get older.
I have no willpower when it comes to chocolate and that is BAD while living here in the UK. The chocolate here is so much better than at home and that is not good for my (slowly expanding) waistline.
Good luck getting into the Christmas spirit. It is hard!!!!
And now I’m considering a move to the UK if their chocolate is so much better!
Ha ha, I had the same revelation as I made peanut blossoms and rum cake and rum balls this weekend – yes, I can be around raw cookie dough. Yes, I can have all this stuff in the house and control myself. Yes, I can resist adding insult to injury by washing it all down with hot chocolate mixed with kahlua. Ugh. It was all quite pathetic….
And what are the holidays about if not being pathetic by gorging on goodies? Next weekend I plan to test myself by making iced cut-out cookies. I bet I can only eat two…
I’ve never been able to solve the Rubik’s cube! And I recognize the same temptation when it comes to chocolates… Yum!
I’m glad I’m not alone in my Rubik’s cube inabilities.
Re the chocolates – been there done that. As you say what were you thinking?
I know. I need to accept that I am Jenners and I am a chocoholic.
I hope you find your Christmas spirit soon!
I was also thinking of revisiting A Charlie Brown Christmas this holiday season… I wonder what I’ll think.
We don’t quite appreciate how well blogs work as memory keepers, I agree! Even when they’re not exactly life blogs, they bring back so much.
I’d be curious to see what you think of Charlie Brown Christmas. It was strange for me to revisit it and find it so very different from what I remembered.
I haven’t watched Charlie Brown’s Christmas in years. The ones I have to watch every year are Christmas Vacation, Garfield’s Christmas and Claymation Christmas.
Don’t worry…. you still have more than a week to get in the spirit.
We totally need to watch Christmas Vacation … that is a classic!!! We watched Elf last week and it was so funny. I’d forgotten about so many of the parts.
Things I Realized This Week:
1) Grad school is going to be the end of my social life since all the free time I get I will probably be sleeping.
2) Netflix Instant Viewing is my newest BFF.
3) I totally have missed talking to you and reading your blog these past few months!
Life is crazy isn’t it? Glad to see you again … I think in the big mess of moving my blog, I messed up my blogroll. (I did get your e-mail about your e-mail though.)
And Netflix instant viewing??? Need to check this out.
Happens to me every year as well…but I know where mine comes from…by the time December settles down, Christmas is gone. There are years I feel like I miss the entire thing…just from running all over the place all month long…and I’m not even talking about shopping. Ghiradellie Peppermint Bark soothes my soul
I hear what you’re saying. The craziness of getting “ready” for Christmas almost causes you to miss it. I think I need to sit down and just enjoy the lights and feel peaceful and stop worrying about all the “obligations” that come with the season.
Sorry about the gray hair (I gave up on mine years ago), sorry about the reading slump, sorry about the Christmas spirit, try this , it might help.
Oooh…I’m intrigued by the link. Going to check it out. (And I’m sure I’ll snap out of it soon … I have the “holiday blues” about this time every year I think.)
I took one look at a Rubik’s cube back in the 70′s and never, even once, considered that I could solve it…I must have a self esteem problem! Loved your list and I relate to many of them, especially the Lindt chocolate.
And there are people who can do the whole thing in like a minute flat. I think we must be missing that part of the brain! : )
One reason the Charlie Brown dialog is so stilted is that most of the voice actors were really young children, and they couldn’t read. So Bill Melendez (the animator/director) would feed each line to the child, and have the child repeat it.
If you lived with The Boy who watches EVERY commentary of EVERY DVD he likes, you’d pick up this stuff.
I am lacking in Christmas spirit, too. The tree is still languishing in the shed (though the box did sit in the living room until August, if that tells ya anything about our adherence to holiday traditions). The tree may go up by next weekend, but I doubt there will be any outdoor decorations.
Thanks for sharing your arcane knowledge of Charlie Brown production values!! : )
I guess child actors weren’t as “skilled” back in the day! Nowadays I’m sure there are stage-managed child actors who could spit those lines out. I guess Linus’s speech is more impressive given that information.
I had the exact same experience with a bag of Lindt truffles this week. The only thing I can say is that I left the white chocolate variety for Jason. Because I…um…don’t like those ones…
I could ignore anything with white chocolate. What is it with those truffles … they are so addictive!
I had the same thought when I watched A Charlie Brown Christmas as well — not quite the same as I used to remember it. How about when Lucy pretty much abuses a dog (Snoopy)? Totally bizarre! The only good thing was Snoopy and Woodstock, of course.
BUMMER on redoing those links!! Boo!! Although it must have been nice to see the evolution of it all — maturity is always such a good thing!
I know what you mean about Lucy!! I think at one point she said something like: “I’ll show you five good reasons…” and makes a fist. She is one violent girl!
And all the kids are downright abusive to Charlie Brown.