Tis the Season

Hey everyone! First I want to let you guys know that for whatever reason, I cant comment in reply to yours. I've tried and tried and I don't understand what changed but it wont let me. I am so sorry because I genuinely read all your comments and appreciate them more than you know. I'll get it figured out!!
I've been really busy lately which is nice. I had 2 cookie exchange parties back to back Sunday's.  I'm definitely going to have to wear stretchy pants after the holidays.  Today was our work department potluck which is always fun. We always do white elephant game and I ended up with a Beanless Bag chair.  So random and not sure what to do with it. LOL

Its crazy that Christmas is next week. I definitely want it to go by quickly.  I'm ready for 2019 to be over!
I am off work after today until next Thursday so I wont be near my laptop.
I dont have any plans except going to mass with my stepmom on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas everyone!! I genuinely wish you all the best during this holiday and I am so grateful for your support you've given me these last few months.

Tis the Season

Hey all, I got busy last week and didn't have/make time to blog .  I didn't want to NOT have one last post for the year and wish all of you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Last Sunday, Todd and I went on our annual DFW Texas Toy Run  and it was a great time as always. It was a long day for us because our friends we ride with live in Ft Worth so we get a 45 minute ride in before it even starts. So how the ride works, we have a meeting place in Dallas and a meeting place in Ft Worth. At same time, we start our ride and meet at the same time in a middle city Arlington where our Cowboys and Rangers stadiums are.  It was estimated around 4000 bikes in attendance.
People pull over on side of highway to watch every year and we throw out candy to the kids. Todd wore a hoodie which was perfect holder for my bag of candy. LOL.  The weather was perfect and I was so happy it wasn't as cold as previous years.

helmet hair

THIS my friends is 2 bicycles strapped to a motorcycle with helmets

I have met Santa a few times recently.  I went to see a friend a few days ago who was selling her jewelry at a outdoor market . There was a Santa there for Santa Paws and you can take your dogs for a picture with Santa. I didn't know beforehand or I would have taken my babies for their pic.
I was able to grab a photo with Santa and my friend Shari.

Todd and I went to one of our metroplex Harley shops and guess who was there? Yep, Santa!! So what else is a girl to do but get picture with him again.  

And to top off some Christmas spirit, have you seen a truck painted with chalkboard paint and an inflatable snowman in the back in your town? 

I have really enjoyed the last few days being at home with Todd and the dogs and not getting up at 5:15 am.  Really really enjoying it!!  I hope that all of you are taking some time for you to soak up time with your loved ones. 

This is my last post for the year and I am so happy that I picked up blogging again in July after taking a few months off. I've loved catching up with my old friends and have made some wonderful new friends on blogs this year. Merry Christmas and  Happy New Year and i'll be posting soon. 

My Christmas 2016 and up until now

Hey everyone- Happy New Year!!

I’m finally just now posting about my Christmas.  I started to get pretty depressed as Christmas day approached.  Since I can remember, minus the few years here and there when I was out of state , Christmas Day was always always always spent with my Dad.  This was the first Christmas without him and it really was so very different for me. I was kind of lost. I know that seems so dramatic and I always had my husband by my side but when there is such a deep rooted tradition that I did for over 40 plus years, it was hard.

 The whole Christmas week was very busy and hectic which was good I guess.  We had lunch at our house on Christmas Eve day. Our son Collin who lives in Austin with his girlfriend Sydney drove up the night before and went to his mom’s house.  Our daughter Alison rode with them and they got to our house around 11:30. My in-laws came over too so they could see the kids.  We had a nice time though very brief . We rarely get to see Collin now that he lives out of town and he’s working full time.  After lunch, Todd had to leave for church because he was playing drums for the candlelight service and always has to go early to practice with group.  The family left and I then I headed to our church for the service.

Silly selfie with kids and parents

After our church service, we went to my Dad’s house and had dinner with my stepmom Deb.  She is very devout Catholic and her church dedicated 4 different masses in memory of Daddy and the Christmas midnight mass happened to be the last one.  I really do miss practicing Catholicism often especially around the holidays so I would have joined her anyway but it was special bonus for the dedication.  I like that her church actually starts Midnight Mass at 11 and then ends at midnight instead of starting at midnight like many do.   We got our double dose of Jesus that day for church with 2 different church services. I actually liked it and would do that again.  I was soooo tired though by the time we got home. I had got up super early that day for finishing touches of house cleaning for the family lunch.

The first service of the day was Candlelight at our church

Mass dedicated to my dad ( Mark Schmitz)

On Christmas morning, Todd and I slept in until 8am and we fixed breakfast and opened our gifts from one another.  I have another post regarding my Christmas present that I asked for.  We had to be at Todd’s parents house for lunch by noon and they live about 45 minutes away.  Their lunch was with Todd’s brother Kevin and his wife Paula and Kevins sons Zac and Seth, Todd’s cousin Kimberly and her husband Richard,  Us, and the in-laws so there were 10 of us.   We did our gift exchange with the family and had nice time visiting with one another.  I think we left their house around 4 and headed home.  I was SO tired from the nonstop day before and coming getting into bed around 1am, it was catching up with me.  I think we had leftovers and then put on our comfy pajamas and had a Bed In ( our version of Bed in is where we turn off the lights and lock the doors around the house and shut everything down , then just watch TV from our bedroom).  It was great!  We both fell asleep by 10.

Silly selfie with the fam

I took the week off for vacation between Christmas and New Years and it was great. I wish I could tell you that I met up with friends every day, shopped, cleaned house, took down Christmas, etc.   I didn’t do any of that. One day I did take Jack and Avery to the movies to see Sing. I’ve mentioned them a few times. I’m really good friends with their mom who works with me. They don’t have any family in Texas and they didn’t go home to Chicago this year.  They’re good boys and I love spending time with them.  Sing was super cute!  I did read a book- Miss Peregrine’s home for peculiar children.  I liked it but then I realized it’s a series of 3 books and I didn’t have the other 2.  I hate when I do that!  I slept in every day to at least 8 or 8:30.  I just kinda took it easy which I so rarely do.  It was nice!

Sing with Avery and Jack

For New Years Eve,  we were invited to some friends house who had a really fun ( brilliant) idea- the party started at 6pm and they changed all their clocks in the house to say 9pm.  So at our time at 9, we did a count down and toasted champagne like it was midnight.  Todd and I were back home in our jammies and in bed again by 10.  HAHA! We are some wild and crazy characters !  The following day on Sunday was spent at my Dads ranch again visiting with my stepmom’s family. My stepbrother and sister and the kiddos were in from California and I needed to spend time with them.  It was also Cowboys football time that we lost to the Giants. Poop! Then Monday came around and we had a corporate day off so that was good. I unfortunately had caught a bug (from one of the kiddos I suspect) and was super super sick all day and into the late evening.  Todd took down the Christmas tree and did what he could with decorations but i wasn’t able to help him much at all.   Then back to work on Tuesday. That was all pretty much my holiday in a nutshell.

NY Eve party with friends Debbie and Wendy( avery and jacks mom)

My nieces Ava and Paloma

Dad's dog Leroy did not mind being festive and wearing party hat

This week has been rough emotionally. This Thursday will be the one year anniversary of my sweet amazing Daddy taking his last breath.  I cant believe its already been a year. It honestly feels like it was a few months ago. I think I lived so long in the dark with my head in a hole last year that I lost track of time.  I will be  working from home that day so I don’t have to wear makeup because I suspect I’ll be crying the majority of the day.  This weekend Deb is hosting a Celebration of Life in Memory of Daddy. I’ve also been dreading that. I don’t know why.  It will be friends and family that loved my dad but I just am exhausted from crying and yet I still do.  A few of my close friends will be there so that will help.  Todd said to me the other night that we don’t have to go. But we do. I need to show my support to Deb. Maybe this is healing for her. I am his only daughter ( only kid born to him) and I feel like I need to be there.   So, please pray for my heart this week and weekend. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Have a great day yall!! 

Winner of the BOTB - more of Ziggy and Deftones

Good morning y'all.  I am so grateful for the participation I had in last week's battle of the bands.  The battle was between the Deftones and Ziggy Marley doing cover song of Drive originally by The Cars.  The  winner is the Deftones with score 11 to 5.   I didn't vote , I normally never do on my battles but I really like the Deftones.   So I am happy with the outcome.  Ziggy Marley does some great songs though and I like his touch he adds to songs.

I really like his Love is my religion

One of my favorite Deftones song is old from 2003 but I just really connect to it.
Its called Minerva: This version is the acoustic I found on youtube.

Now to get in Christmas spirit- I don't think I've mentioned Christmas at all on my blog.  I'm not feeling it but i'm trying. I decorated a little bit but nothing like I normally do.  I didn't even put up my Grinch table that I've done for years and it gives me Joy but I just cant. Especially now that Christmas is this week.    Oh well.  One of my favorite Christmas songs is Drummer Boy with Bing Crosby and David Bowie.  I came across the parody of Will Ferrell being David Bowie and John C Reilly as Bing.  They actually sound really good and its so funny at the same time.   Have yall seen this?

 

If I don't blog again this week which is most likely the case- Merry Christmas everyone and God Bless you and the New Year!!

Another one gone

So if you were a fan of the band Stone Temple Pilots (STP) , Velvet Revolver, or recently the Wildabouts, then you've heard that the lead singer Scott Weiland died just a few days ago on December 3.   Scott had just recently turned 48 in October.  He's only 5 months older than me.  Unfortunately he had such a tumultuous past and struggles with drugs that his death came as no surprise.  When I first read the news, I think either on Facebook or Twitter, surprise or shock was not the word but just huge sadness.  His wife swears that he had been clean and sober and that's not what killed him.  He died from cardiac arrest.  I read that his brother actually died a few years ago at age of 40 due to heart attack.  Whether he had taken drugs the night of his death or not, ultimately its what weakened his heart and still caused the damage. 
STP was in my constant collection in the 90's and early 2000's then he left the band and joined Velvet Revolver . I LOVED Velvet Revolver.  I played their CD's nonstop and knew every song from beginning to end.   Scott was with VR from 2003 to 2008.  He went back to STP for a few more years when he left in 2013 ( got fired) and started the Wildabouts.  He even did a Christmas CD a few years ago and I bought it on iTunes. Its not the best but its not the worst. haha!
Stone Temple Pilots has huge hits like Creep, Plush, Sex type Thing, Vasoline, Interstate Love Song,and  Big Empty.  I guarantee you know the songs even if you're not familiar with the titles. 
Scott was married 3 times and his last wife had only been with him the last 4 years.  He has 2 kids.
He was crazy talented and I saw many interviews he did over the years and he idolized David Bowie. Scott liked David's fashion and his creativity.
I know this sounds crazy but I have felt pretty sad about his passing.  I guess it would be different if he was the lead singer of a band that I wasn't very familiar with.  I just happened to really follow the works of Scott Weiland and loved his voice.   The good news is that he is no longer dealing with his demons anymore. He died in his sleep on his tour bus in Minnesota.  A pretty peaceful way to do if you ask me. Just sucks that he wasn't with his family. 
Here are a few of my favorites. Its hard to choose from so many though.
This is Fall to Pieces with Velvet Revolver.  His songs he wrote was from his many times in rehab and getting clean.  Lots of his struggles are in his songs.  You can totally tell that Slash is the lead guitarist in this band.  Duff is also in the band and he and Slash were both in Guns n Roses.

 

Here's a song called Sour Girl. The actress Sarah Michelle Gellar from Buffy the Vampire Slayer is in the official video but I couldn't find it.

This is Plush

 

 

So.  In other news, i'm trying to get in spirit and decorate the house for Christmas.  I am barely skimming the surface from what I do for Halloween and what I did for Christmas last year.  I'm into it but then i'm not.  I just do a little every night after work.   Have a great week!!