Things Overheard...

...in the newsroom:

"Yeah, they had one of them civil rivalry things. You know. Where brothers and sisters don't get along."

"I axed them to do it."

"I lost all respect for Harrison Ford when he started sleeping with Calista Flockhart. That would be like making love to a green bean!"

Anchor: "You missed the poopin' and pukin'."
Sports: "Poopin' and pukin'?"
Anchor: "Yeah, I was sick." (pause) "I prefer the poop to the puke."

In reaction to the story about Kobe Bryant being suspended for using his elbow to stop an opponents nose in a game Thursday:

"This is the NBA. The National Battery Association? The National Battery and Assault?"

Yes, these are the people who bring you the news!

As heard by the radio announcers at Thursday's Iowa State Women's Basketball game as Coach Fennelly was putting in walk-on player Kandice Beenken:

"If you get the ball just jack it up!" ISU won 77 to 28 tying a record for least points scored by an opponent.

Like Father, Like Son

More so every day. This picture is from our trip to Europe, during the rush from one plane to another in Heathrow Airport.

Nimitz' Lady

E.R.

I'm not generally someone who schedules their life around the TV schedule. But I do have a few shows I like to watch. Usually ones with good characters.

One show I do enjoy is E.R. on NBC. I began watching this show when I was home on maternity leave with JBP five years ago.

I fell in love with Abby and Dr. Kovac. Since then the writers have split the two of them up and paired them with others. Then split them up again.

Now, they're finally back together. And in the last episode before "Christmas Reruns" Abby told Kovac she was pregnant. Right at the end of the episode. Then left us hanging for his reaction (although if they remain true to the character, I could tell you right now what the reaction will be) for three whole weeks! Three weeks!

The next new episode is a week from tomorrow. I'm already setting my VCR. Yes, I still use a VCR. I haven't convinced myself to spring for the extra money for digital cable and a DVR, yet. It's coming soon though, I can feel it.

Nimitz' Lady

We Forgot!

This evening, while I was home for supper, Grammy sent JBP upstairs to search for his shoes. I don't know why.

He muttered about not being able to find them and then disappeared into his room. At first all was quiet. Then I heard ripping and tearing sounds.

I grew concerned and went to investigate.

Turns out, apparently while looking for his shoes, he'd rediscovered some toys from his Opa we'd brought back from Europe and stashed in his closet.

He was busy tearing open the box to the race cars & track so he could get all the pieces out. Half of them were already strewn across the floor.

He looked up at me solemnly and said, "I can't believe we forgot to open some of my Christmas presents."

I wanted to double over laughing. He was soooo serious about it.

Instead I somehow maintained a serious facade and made him put the pieces back into what remained of the box and put the box back into the closet.

I told him it was because he hadn't asked. If he behaved himself, Mama and Dada would help him put the racetrack together sometime in the next few days.

He took the delay with rather good grace, I must say. He can be such a good boy. When he wants to.

Nimitz' Lady

Cameo

I made a cameo appearance in the 6pm news tonight. And I wasn't looking my best, to say the least.

The story? A piece on how local gyms are so busy with folks trying to lose that Christmas weight. Not very original. In fact, we do the same story every year around this time. But still the truth none-the-less.

Anyway, I happened to be at the gym the photog(rapher) went to to get the story. I was running the track as part of my Boot Camp class when he showed up. The first shot he got was a nice long one of me running right at the camera!

Needless to say the @#^#%^&*^ used it in the 6pm story.

It was bad enough they had to use a shot of big-ol'-lug me running. Not elegant at the best of times.

But today I'd barely made it to the gym and was wearing some ratty old workout clothes (as opposed to a couple of relatively cute workout outfits I've got).

Then, the photog had to go and shoot the video more than halfway through the class, so I was all sweaty and beet-red in the face.

Not a pretty picture. But I guess it was news 'cause it made the air.

At least I now have proof I actually do exercise, despite my girth.
Nimitz' Lady

Breaking News

No rest for we weary souls in the newsroom. Instead, we have been abundantly blessed by the 'breaking news gods'. Over-abundantly!

Normally, on a holiday week such as this, we would struggle to come up with enough stories like, "How to keep your Christmas leftovers from making you sick" and "Losing those Christmas inches", etc.

Instead, we've had a steady diet of what we refer to as "breaking news". These are events that constitute news but are *not planned on or expected.

We've had fatal car crashes galore, bank robberies, bomb threats that evacuate the local mall, 4-alarm business fires (only the 2nd such fire since I moved here four years ago!), domestic violence incidents that end with a self-defense murder by bb gun!, etc.

The types of stories that on a normal week we'd sometimes devote two or three reporters to are now only getting one reporter. We've simply run out of people due to vacations.

Those of us left are getting very brain-weary and starting to make mistakes. We need someone to come off the bench and give us a time-out! Soon.

Oh, and while you're at it, could you call off the 'breaking news gods'? I'd love a good old-fashioned week-between-christmas-and-new-year's type story about now.

Nimitz' Lady

Favorites

Here are a few of my favorite things:

Favorite Color
Red

Favorite Animal
Cat (Tiger if I must be more specific)

Favorite Music
This one completely depends on my mood. Overall favorite? Perhaps Native American & Celtic Instrumental music.

Favorite Genre (for TV/Books, etc)
Science Fiction/Alternative History

Favorite Author
David Weber. And Eric Flint. And David Drake. And Mercedes Lackey. And Anne McCaffrey. And John Ringo. And, and, and. Get the picture?

Favorite Book (not including the Bible)
Science Fiction: At All Costs
Other: The Hiding Place

Favorite Comic Book
X-Men

Favorite TV Shows
On Air: E.R., Grey's Anatomy, Commander & Chief, West Wing, Stargate, Stargate: Atlantis and Battlestar Galactica
Re-Runs: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, any Star Trek series, Babylon 5, The Young Riders

Favorite Movie
Born Free & Casablanca

Favorite Actor/Actress
Orlando Bloom/Janeane Garofalo

Favorite Language
Spanish

Favorite Sport
Basketball

Favorite Team
Iowa State Cyclones, duh!

Favorite Form of Exercise
Tae Kwon Do/Kickboxing

Favorite Food
Thai and Japanese (Asian?)

Favorite Hobby
Uh? Reading? Maybe?

Favorite Place to Travel
Anywhere overseas that I haven't been yet!

Nimitz' Lady

Daddy Time

The last few days have been so nice out, mid 50's!, that Der Deutscher and JBP have spent a lot of time outdoors. Usually playing baseball.

Today, they were out back when I noticed the neighbor boys out front playing basketball. I passed the information on.

Now usually this would be enough to have JBP racing for the front door. This time he paused, thought about it, then said, "I think I'll just stay back here and play baseball." The last two unsaid words would've been, 'with Dada.'

I'm so glad for both of them. Even if I am insanely jealous of the time off they're getting. I must go to work every afternoon. I don't want to work! I want to play too!!!

Nimitz' Lady

Weigh In

As promised here is the result of my weekly weigh-in.

Today: 204.5 lbs
Last Tuesday: 201.5 lbs
Difference: +3 lbs
Amt to Goal Weight: 44.5 lbs

The bad news? I'm up from last week in a point in my body's cycle that I should be automatically down. The good news? Almost all of the Christmas goodies in the house have now been consumed.

I am currently drinking water and munching carrots for supper.

Here's hoping I can keep it up.
Nimitz' Lady

Exhausted

I am tired. I mean exhausted, bone deep. In my rush to get everything done in the last week I have subsisted on four to five hours of sleep a night.

To put this in perspective, I'm someone who needs 7.5 to eight hours a night in order to function properly.

All that lost sleep is catching up with me. And now it's all I can do to drag myself to work. Thank goodness I actually have to produce newscasts this week. It's the only thing preventing me from getting keyboard-face.

Nimitz' Lady

Exhausted

I am tired. I mean exhausted, bone deep. In my rush to get everything done in the last week I have subsisted on four to five hours of sleep a night.

To put this in perspective, I'm someone who needs 7.5 to eight hours a night in order to function properly.

All that lost sleep is catching up with me. And now it's all I can do to drag myself to work. Thank goodness I actually have to produce newscasts this week. It's the only thing preventing me from getting keyboard-face.

Nimitz' Lady

Exhausted

I am tired. I mean exhausted, bone deep. In my rush to get everything done in the last week I have subsisted on four to five hours of sleep a night.

To put this in perspective, I'm someone who needs 7.5 to eight hours a night in order to function properly.

All that lost sleep is catching up with me. And now it's all I can do to drag myself to work. Thank goodness I actually have to produce newscasts this week. It's the only thing preventing me from getting keyboard-face.

Nimitz' Lady

Christmas Day

So, despite all my forbodings, Christmas Day wasn't a complete wash.

I began the day just as tense as I'd been most of the week, ready to explode at the slightest nudging. But a church service filled with praise and thanksgiving songs went a long way toward soothing this savage beast.

Although not enough to keep my from nearly biting my lip in two to keep from verbally ripping a woman's head off in Sabbath School and stomping on it. We're studying the book The Five Love Languages on relationships. She kept trying to make it into a Man vs Woman power struggle thing. It's not. It's gender neutral. It's about how to recognize what your mate needs to feel loved and give it to them. (A very good book. I'd definitely recommend it.)

But that was the worst of my day. I managed not to turn Sabbath School class into World War III and moved on.

We had a light lunch, cold sandwiches, and began cooking for the elaborate dinner which just kept growing in size every time I turned around. We're still finishing off the leftovers two whole days later! Leftovers never last that long in my family.

Dinner was yummy. But we couldn't linger over it due to JBP's eagerness to get to the presents. He got lots of wonderful boy things. A Power Ranger (which I detest for it's campiness), matchbox cars with a DVD video, a Rescue Hero with snowmobile & two dogs to pull it, a couple of lego sets to build two different kinds of fire engines, etc. Enough to send any little boy into bliss.

Der Deutscher loved the Iowa State blanket I made him, even though he pretty much knew it was coming. I had to buy the material while we were in Ames and I couldn't shake him loose long enough to buy it without him. Oh well, he still liked it.

In fact, everyone liked my offerings. Thank goodness. I spent enough time making them. In the last two weeks I have made a total of three blankets, 12 pillows, 1 crocheted poncho and several dozen cookies.

At this point if I don't see another piece of fuzzy fleecy fabric for six months I would be perfectly happy. Okay, three months. By summer I'll be back at it, I'm sure.

Overall, things went swimmingly despite my scroogy mood. I hope your Christmas was the Merry Day you wished for.

Nimitz' Lady

P.S. I'll try to get some pictures up by the end of the week. I haven't even seen what Der Deutscher shot yet. =)

The Dump

When JBP and I go to the gym we always park in the corner of the lot farthest from the building. I figure we're going to get exercise, why not start with a warm-up walk across the parking lot.

JBP likes it, cause he can travel completely solo--first on grass then on the sidewalk. No need to wait for slow old momma.

What he doesn't like is that someone, or someones, has chosen to use this back corner of the lot as a dumping ground.

He always has to pick his way around piles of trash: old pop bottles, candy wrappers, etc. He always comments on the "rudeness" of whoever is doing the dumping.

Today he said, "Momma, who thinks this is a landfill?"

He also worries every time we throw something in the trash. His constant comment, "Momma, you should recycle that. Recycling is good for the 'vironment."

My environmentally concious young man.
Nimitz' Lady

Cool Gifts

I'm a sucker for neat little toys that fit on your keychain. This year I've already gotten a couple cool such gifts.

The first came at the end of our Women's Bible Study for the year. The leader had found these neat little miniature (yes, Ma, I know that's redundant!) Bibles on a keychain. It's so small you need a magnifying glass to read it. Mine has the blue stone.

Later the same day, CNN sent us (at my TV station) a bunch of miniature flashlights that, again, are on a key chain. I was lucky enough to get one. As I'm a manager I usually pass up these affiliate "gifts" but I just couldn't resist the keychain flashlights.

Anyway, when you shine the flashlight on the wall, in the middle of the circle of light is a red CNN logo. It's "toool!" in the words of my 5.75 year old. (Hey that .75 of a year makes a huge difference at his age!)

In fact, I've had to fight him over it. He's at the stage where he's fascinated with any flashlight and he has regular access to this one.

Two years ago, while in Ames, I bought a key chain that played the Iowa State Fight Song. JBP and I played it so much during away games that after two seasons it died on us.

I'm such a key chain collector that once in high school I had a key chain that was over a foot long! I had to get rid of it because it was so heavy I was afraid it would damage the car's ignition.

Since then I've learned to rotate what's on my keychain so it doesn't get out of hand.

Nimitz' Lady

Poor Kitty

Sa the Chicken Cat, henceforth referred to as Chicken, isn't such a wuss after all. She may be skittish as all get out but when it comes to defending her territory and fighting off attacks from her own kind she's got feline guts.

Last night when I came home from work, Chicken greeted me. At first I didn't notice anything wrong. But then I noticed she was limping.

Upon further inspection I discovered a half-inch gash in her right forepaw. She must've gotten it defending her territory from the interloper cat that's sprayed our front doorstep the last two nights.

She still hasn't shown any signs of fever or infection so the vet says just keep her leg disinfected and let it heal on its own (or we could come in and pay $100+ to have him disinfect it and give her an antibiotic she probably won't need).

Der Deutscher has this Healing Herb Oil he brought from Germany. It works really well as a disinfectant for animals of all shapes and sizes, except perhaps fish. =)

The problem? It smells very strongly, even to my poor, stunted human nose. I can't even begin to imagine what it smells like to someone with a real sniffer, like Chicken.

So, in order to use it on her (or any of the other pets for that matter) I've had to sneak up on her and simply douse it. No time for finesse.

It only takes a few drops to do the job. But, since there's no time to aim there's no way to know exactly how much will land on its intended target.

So far, I've done this twice. I'll keep it up until the wound completely dries up, stops oozing, whatever you want to call it.

Once she's doused she takes off. She'll then spend the next half hour or so trying to escape the smell attached to her front paw. Occasionally she'll lift the paw to her face, like she's going to lick it clean, get a whiff of the disinfectant, shake the paw and take off again.

It's hilarious, in a sad way. Hopefully the rest of Chicken's Christmas will go better than this.

Nimitz' Lady

Closed for Christmas

The recent controversy raging over some Sunday churches closing this week for Christmas absolutely puzzles me.

While I'm not one to say, you can't do that, it's wrong! I also simply can't imagine foregoing the opportunity to attend church services on this most Holy of holidays.

I think many people have forgotten that the term 'holiday' is a contraction of Holy Day, with capital letters.

For me, at least, Christmas is (should be) about remembering the sacrifice Christ made for us. First, in coming to this earth in human form and suffering through a human life for 33 years. Then, in dying to save us from our own sins.

That's one thing I admire about the Catholic Church (I disagree with them on many, many points of theology), they hold special services, or masses, on every holiday. They've remembered the meaning of the term.

So, for most of my life, I've eagerly anticipated years when Christmas falls on the weekend. Since we celebrate on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day I get a double whammy.

Last year Christmas Day fell on Sabbath (the 7th day of the week). This year CHristmas Eve falls on Sabbath.

Despite all my troubles this Christmas season, I can't wait to attend church services tomorrow and simply can't imagine deciding to forego a celebration of the greatest gift of all in order to open earthly presents.

Just my thoughts.
Nimitz' Lady

P.S. Here's a great essay on the theological reasons to attend/hold services this weekend.

Back to Work

And to top it all off, after the last two weeks of non-stop activity, by rights I should be able to relax on Christmas Day.

Instead I have to head BACK TO WORK! That's right, I'm paying for my extra-long Thanksgiving Vacation in Europe by working Christmas Day.

Yay me! Not. Sometimes I am so beyond ready to get out of the news business.

Nimitz' Lady

The Menu

Here's what we're planning on for the BIG MEAL tomorrow.
------------------

1. Special K Loaf (for the vegetarians)
2. Turkey Breast (for the carnivores)
3. Rot Kraut (a red cabbage dish that's traditional Christmas food in Germany)
4. Knudeln (a stuffing type dish that's also traditional Christmas food in Germany)
5. Homemade applesauce
6. Steamed Broccoli
7. Stir-fried Green Beans
8. Au Gratin Potatoes
9. Corn Bread
10. European-type Bread
11. Jelly Bellies (JBP's addition)
12. Petit Fours
13. Maple Sugar candies
14. Belgian Chocolates
15. Macadamia Fruit Cake

Numbers 10 through 14 are pre-made items we bought online from Swiss Colony (great store, BTW). Numbers one through nine must be cooked tomorrow. Of course Oma/MIL is making numbers two, three and four. And Aunty Wowis is bringing #8, the potatoes. But that leaves me with the Special K Loaf, applesauce, broccoli, green beans and corn bread.

Nimitz' Lady

Almost Done

After a little help, okay a lot of help, from Grammy and JBP this morning I am almost done with the pre-Christmas requirements.

I only have one gift left to make, for JBP. I can do that when I get home from work tonight.

The house is clean, at least as clean as it's going to get.

All the gifts that are finished are wrapped and labeled.

The tree is up (sort of) with presents beneath it.

The shopping is done for tomorrow's big event.

I even rented movies to keep everyone entertained on Sunday.

Now, all I have to worry about is cooking Christmas Eve dinner. I ran out of time this morning, so will have to begin cooking tomorrow morning instead. Hopefully I can get it done.

Even if I don't there'll be plenty to eat. It's just a matter of how high a percentage of the food is actually good for us and how much of it is junk. Yummy junk, true, but junk all the same.

Nimitz' Lady