goldie’s Neighborhood

Had to upload it to youtube this time!

At least his bedding will be clean soon, even if he isn't....

Ok, so here's last year's real tree:

Not horrible but not great and certainly no Blue Room tree. Did you see the First Lady's tree?!?! It's so beautiful. Like *tear* beautiful. See it here.

Then here's this year's tree:

Hmmmm. I think I still liked the real tree better. I should try to take a picture in similar lighting for a better comparison, right?

And it would prolly make more sense if I do it myself; but sometimes, writing something about yourself is harder than writing something about others. Big dilemma here.

(Oh...and incase you were wondering what's that all about --- I'm currently doing a mini-project. Which by the way, I'm hoping to be of big help in the long run.)

Sigh. I love weekends. In that note, I leave you one my my favorite songs:

Reasons I Am Buying Less At Trader Joe's

or

Items Trader Joe's Has (Apparently) Discontinued

in no particular order other than the most heartbreaking is first (also you might notice a theme)

• Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies--I told the cashier last year that I loved these so much I wanted to marry them.  Then I wrote Trader Joe's and told them that, and they said they were a seasonal item.  And they didn't bring them back this season.  I want to punch them in the face for this alone.
• Pierogies--these had become rather a staple for me over the last year or 2.  I'm not sure if they have been discontinued but I haven't seen any in a few months.
• Hot chocolate mix in the round blue can--okay, they have the sipping chocolate which is good, and this one I can live without but still, just another turn of the thumbscrew.
• Chocolate yogurt--the kind with the real cocoa in the bottom that you mixed up and it was all delicious and shit, not that Eurotrash crap in the smaller container they try to shove off on you.
• Cookies with Perks--the chocolate chip cookes with espresso chips (or espresso flavored cookies with chocolate chips?).  Haven't seen them since probably last winter or spring.  Bastards.
• Milk chocolate cocoa almonds (are you getting the theme yet?)--now they have the black cocoa almonds, and they are pretty good, though unless you eat them with a spoon or chopsticks it's like you just read 100,000 newspapers (okay, newspapers that taste like chocolate, but still, it's messy!)  Now---90% of the time I prefer dark chocolate, but this is one of the few exceptions (one of the others is the milk chocolate covered McVitie's digestive biscuits which I haven't had in years but I would probably sell a kidney for a packet right about tomorrow).  Would it be SO WRONG to have both?
• I didn't check for it this time because I bought some at the regular supermarket since I couldn't find it at Trader Joe's the last couple times, but if they have discontinued their frozen broccoli florets I'm gonna bust up the joint.
• I don't think they have discontinued them (YET) but their sea salt brownies were really delicious until they lightened up on the sea salt.  Now they are just bland.
• I didn't see the little chocolate mint cookie clusters.  They were so good that I can't even remember what they were. They were in a brown and dark pink round container, like a pint of ice cream, like Thin Mints or something, all crumbled up and covered in chocolate, maybe?
• Also I haven't seen the dark chocolate toffee squares I've become rather addicted to, in a while.  I bought some in September to bring on vacation.  I have one left in front of me.

There are probably other things but it's probably like regular food that doesn't stand out in my mind like chocolate stuff.  I will add things as I recall them.  I know my neighbor was pissed about some croissants they discontinued, maybe almond croissants.

They are discontinuing stuff I like but not replacing them with anything as good or better.  Are my tastes that eclectic?  Do all the rest of the Trader Joe's customers have bland ass taste?

Oh--the first thing I ever had from Trader Joe's, before I lived near one, were these little chocolate animal cracker type cookies (my sister had them at her house when I was babysitting once and I wanted to eat the whole thing).  They weren't chocolate covered or anything, they were like chocolate butter cookies that melted in your mouth.  And they replaced them with something BLAND.

I seriously was planning on buying 10 boxes of those Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies. And next trip I would have bought 10 more.  I'm completely serious.  I was going to stock up so I could have them at least through the spring.  Or till New Year's.  Or till I OD'ed on them, or at least till I vomited.

Quit breaking my heart, Trader Joe.  You are getting to be evil and sadistic, getting me hooked on this stuff and then yanking them out from under me, without warning, before I can stock up and buy out every store in the area.

When I was growing up, decorating the tree was like a sacred ritual. Although we never had a set day to set up the tree, when it eventually showed up in the yard, we knew it was close to time. Real trees were the route we always took, on several occasions even going out to the tree farm to pick our own.

We did a little decorating outside the house but left the major light displays to the folks across the street. They were a great landmark when giving directions to our place. Inside, the windows that faced the front got some spray snow and the banisters got some garland, but the crown jewel was the tree. I watched in awe as my mom would transform a plain old tree into a piece of art.

There were two key components to the tree: bubble lights and the chirping bird. Bubble lights are straight 70s and they rock so hard it should be illegal. Can you imagine that bubbly goodness on your tree?!?!

I wish that I could upload sound so you could hear what the product description calls "the joyous sound of a bird chirping".  It's not joyous really.  It's pretty annoying after a while but that never stopped us from hiding it in the center of the tree like it was a little bird's nest.  People were always amazed by it too.  We all just found that to be hysterical.

My mom would decorate and I would hand her the ornaments and as I got older, I was allowed to place some ornaments or add the final touch of icicles.  I believe that I was about 14 or 15 when the honor of fully decorating the tree was bestowed upon me.  No pressure!!  Welcome in OCD.

With this great task upon me, I was so careful to place each ornament just perfectly to try to live up to the standard of trees before mine.  I'm proud to say that my trees were all beautiful.  My tree OCD, however, never left.

Fast forward 20(!) years to current day Christmas where I'm solely in charge of the tree.  For the last three years, we've been buying a fresh cut tree because I love the scent of pine when I walk in the front door.  I'm not so sheltered, though, as not to realize the importance of our natural resources.  This year we bought our first fake tree.

Obviously, I didn't immediately fall in love with this idea nor the looks of the tree when Kiddo and I first started putting it up.  It came pre-lit with various colored lights.  They're bright.  Really bright.  While the family photo albums have already been handed down, the Christmas decorations have not yet.  My tree is without bubble lights and chirping birds.  Sadness.  It is full of pretty red and silver ornaments with some splashes of other color here and there.

What I've learned this year is that fake trees are heaven for those with tree OCD.  It's taken me three days now to finish decorating the tree.  Partially because there's just so much life to take care of outside of the tree, but mostly because of the OCD.  Every ornament must be hanging down perfectly straight.  Yes, I'm off my rocker.  But the fake tree is AWESOME for this!!  If an ornament isn't hanging properly, I can bend its branch or the ones around it to make room!  AHAHAHAHAHAHA!  Also, I need to have the amounts of red and silver be in just the right balance.  Icicles can't be clumpy and have to be just the right amount and spray snow can't be overdone.  I need help.

I am hoping that I will be able to finish the tree tonight and put away my tendencies for one more year.  If I do, I'll post a photo.  I know that I'll never be fullysatisfied with the tree's appearance, but that'll do pig, that'll do.

Yesterday morning my co worker comes to me to tell me that our results are online for the CPC exam. I told her that I was having a rather bad week and I'm a little hesitant to check, maybe I should wait for the letter in the mail.

Since she done told everyone how she didn't pass, people were starting to ask me if I did.

I sat there for a couple of hours and just ignored them but started to think maybe I should check, I bet my  boss will be asking.

I logged on and as soon as I saw my full name with the credentials, CPC on the end, I knew that I had passed!

What was my score?!?!?!? Um, a passing one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I did it!! I did it!!!!!

If I could ask Santa for 5 things right now, they would be the following:

A new gym bag.

Black slouchy Steve Madden boots.

A winter jacket.

New velour outfit for casual days/weekends.

Hell, brown boots too…* why not???*