Lisa Lisa Bo Bisa

This year, we decided to partake in the Black Friday madness.  I'm not sure why, as we didn't really have anything specific we were hoping to buy or any huge deals we just had to have.  I suppose because many of the stores opened at midnight, we were more inclined to give it a try.  Who knew what kind of deals and/or Christmas gift ideas we'd find.  We spent the afternoon at Jon's grandma's house, browsing through ads and coming up with our game plan.  We knew we didn't want to deal with lines outside, so we caffeinated up and waited until midnight to hit the stores.  Our first stop was Best Buy, where we found decent deals on a couple of items but the checkout line was over an hour long and put a damper on our quick Black Friday trip.  In retrospect, we shouldn't have even bothered - we could have ordered it all online.  The crowd was insane and I was exhausted already.  But, we survived, made our purchas...

I am lazy.  I took last Thursday off to burn up some vacation time that I will otherwise lose, and I had anticipated all sorts of projects to be completed.  But instead, I spent the entire day on the couch watching TV.  No joke.  At least I have more vacation days coming to be a little more productive. My new favorite show is Gold Rush on TLC.  It's such a random thing to watch, but I find it so intriguing.  Pay no attention to the crazy long beards, mullets, and odd accents - it's addicting.  Who knew that people were still actively mining for gold in Alaska?  Not me.  Maybe I should get in on that.  I might have better odds than winning the lottery. I bought powerball tickets a couple of weeks ago at the request of my husband but alas, did not win.  Hence my brief entertainment of mining for gold.  They say money can't buy you happiness, but I can't imagine having extra money to relieve some financ...

Yesterday we buried my grandpa Ozzie.  And it was both a blessing and a plain, old sad, sad day.  He lived all 97 years of his life to his fullest, and though we never wanted to see him go, we knew it was his time.  My grandpa was one of the kindest human beings I ever knew.  He cared so much for his family and truly put everyone before himself.  He always loved a good laugh, a beautiful day on the golf course, and of course pie - any and all kinds.  (I am almost certain I get my sweet tooth from him).  He made sure all of his grandchildren had the means to get a great education, he spoiled us all with gifts, and he loved to hear everything we were up to.  He served as a cryptographer in Africa during WWII, which I think has to be the most interesting position ever.  He was a gentleman through and through, always holding the door open for everyone else and greeting people he both knew and didn't know.  I can't ...

Jon beat me at golf!   He has probably been waiting for this day since we met in 2008.   Actually, I know he has.   I knew it would happen someday, just wasn’t sure when.   After all, Jon has been taking lessons and practicing quite a bit, getting better and better, while I have done the opposite.   So logic would tell you this was to happen.   And truthfully, I was happy for him that it did! Admittedly, in the last few years I have taken pride in the fact that I could beat him, and his buddy, regularly on the golf course.   A woman, beating a man in a sport = awesome.   I’ve always enjoyed the compliments I have received and happy that all my years of hard work on the golf course have paid off.   Though I have had my share of bad shots, and Jon really good shots, somehow I still always managed to stay just below his score. Until last Saturday.   It was the most perfect day to golf.   We don’t get many sunny, 60+ degre...

For my birthday dinner this year, I requested that we go to McGovern's, where we had our rehearsal dinner, so that I could get their Strawberry Chicken Salad.  Which, in my opinion, is the best. salad. ever.   We finally got a chance to go this week, after a super busy couple of weeks.  It's always fun to go back there and remember that wonderful evening we shared with our close family and friends.  I didn't really know what was in store for me that following day, but I knew that no matter what, it was the people in that room with me that night that mattered most.  (I have no pictures that night with family - oops!) So back to food (of course).  This salad is just so delicious.  The strawberries, the pecans, the bacon, perfectly grilled chicken, the vinagrette dressing...  Every time I inhale this dish like it's going out of style - no joke.  But, you see, I've learned that this salad is not always on the menu.  Because...

I was talking to a colleague of mine this morning, and after a few minutes of conversation, he furrowed his brow in a look of concern and asked, “Are you ok? You look…” and trailed off like he didn’t quite know how to say it.   Trying to avoid feeling incredibly awkward myself (or maybe hoping I wouldn't have to hear the end of his sentence), I quickly replied that I didn’t sleep well last night and was tired.   The answer appeared to explain it all and he was off to another subject.  Awkward moment mostly averted. Though I was in fact tired and indeed did not sleep well due both to a snoring monster next to me and too few blankets on the bed to keep me warm enough, I didn’t think it was transparent in my face.   But apparently I look awful today.   Maybe it’s my hoodie and jeans and hair pulled back with little makeup that makes me look sluggish/worn/whatever my colleague noticed.   Who knows.   I should maybe rethink my interpretation...

Bright and early on the morning I regretfully turned 31 we headed to the airport to travel out east for a bunch of festivities, namely my little sister's wedding.  I had been looking forward to this trip for months and did not mind spending my birthday getting there one bit.  It was a nice distraction, as it turns out turning 31 is not as easy as turning 30.  I have a feeling it's going to feel that way the rest of my life. Before we could get started on preparing for my sister's wedding festivities, we had another wedding to go to in the Poconos!  My cousin coincidentally planned his own wedding the weekend prior to my sister's, which turned out well for us and a few other family members that decided to make it a week's vacation.  Unfortunately the weather was cold and rainy that day, but my cousins made the most of it and the whole event was just beautiful.  We are so thrilled to have his wife part of our family now!  It was this trip tha...