Ramblings of a Crazy Woman

Well, I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! I know I sure did. In fact, I had 5 of them! Here are the recaps on all five celebrations: 1. Santa's visit to 6th Street (Christmas Eve ) - Well, my three-year-old nephew, Clayton must have been a very good boy this year as he got a whole slew of presents and boy did he ever enjoy ripping off the paper on the presents. The highlight of this Christmas was the Walle and Eve robots from the Disney film Walle he received. The adults even enjoyed these toys. 2. A Very Merry Rusca Christmas (Christmas Day) - This celebration involved the hub's step-dad and his family (brothers and sisters join the grandparents) for a potluck dinner celebration. The three highlights were Grandma Berts' tamales, Louie's medicine and of course, the annual white elephant ($40-$60) gift exchange. I had 2 bottles of liquor stolen from me until I ended up with a lovely bottle of vodka. The hub ended up with a bottle of liquor too. 3

As I will be in Fresno tomorrow, I wanted to take a moment, a day early, and wish my mother a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Also, I want to wish the rest of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! My mother, bless her soul, is not up with progress, as in the technological kind. She has no idea what the internet is, except that it's that thing she checks her work schedule on. And I'm pretty sure my dad made an easy shortcut so she only has to click a button and whalla she gets her schedule. I have tried many times to explain to her how easy it is to turn on the computer, open up the internet and type in www.brokencandy.com but try as I may I have had no luck to date. I am pretty sure she is waiting for me to jump on plane to come show her, but you see, I refuse to go home until my parents get cable. It's a little boycott I have. Perhaps my mother is boycotting my boycott by refusing to learn about the internet? I have tried over the years to get the parents to purchase cable yet they s

I would like to take this moment to wish my gorgeous, sexy, amazingly smart husband a very happy 33rd birthday!!! Wishing you nothing but joy and success for the year ahead! I am so lucky to be able to go on this journey with you! Love you bunches!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR HUBBY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Hurray, I am off for a week! I gots me some wrapping, some baking and some relaxing to do!!! Been enjoying the holiday season so far with vendor holiday lunches, parties and gift exchanges. I am so stuffed full of cookies its sickening. Here are my top 10 holiday bests so far: 1. Best Dessert: The croissant bread pudding at Campanile 2. Best Vendor Party: BLT party at Lucky Strike 3. Best Present: Burke Williams GC & a bottle of my favorite champaign 4. Best Wrapping on a Present: The candy cane wrapping on Rhonda's presents 5. Best Present Presentation: The chimney someone built and put a gift basket in 6. Best Cookies & Brownies: Elisa & Trina's 7. Best Flowers: The huge pointsetta's at Costco 8. Best Trees in town: That cheesey lot next to Costco 9. Best Present found in a parking lot: A Bold Fresh Bill of Humanity by Bill O'Reilly 10. Best Holiday Pie: The one I am going to make for the hub tomorrow

Just watched this movie tonight at the studio theatre and it is one of the best movies I have seen this year! I had read about the film when I was in Europe a few weeks ago as its been playing big at festivals and I remember wanting to see it when it came to the States. All of the sudden the buzz has gotten really big here in Hollywood this past week after the Golden Globe Nominations came out (it's up for best picture). I knew I was in for a good film when after working late, I arrived at the theatre and "the page" was counting heads in a line outside. Luckily, my friend and I were one of the last people to get in. We totally lucked out when this guy moved over creating two seats next to each other. A second later "the page" was telling everyone who didn't have a seat to leave and the film started. I have never seen that theatre completely full so I knew I was in for a treat. Sure enough the film didn't disappoint. I was surprised t

Shocker of all shockers! I filled up for $18 bucks today. Yes, that was an entire tank!! Now that, is what I call a holiday present! I was at lunch the other day and this person pointed out that these low prices are a ploy by the oil companies to deter our progress with going green. They went on to say that these low prices happen once every decade so that people forget about going green. Apparently the world found some more oil fields that will pump out gas for the next 50 years with no problem. I am not sure what is causing these low prices but thank you! I do hope we don't foget about going green. We humans have a habbit of thinking about today and not tomorrow. I hope for our sakes that we don't stop with the green stuff and figure out a way to help our Earth!

There was no question as to where and what I was going to do for the hub's birthday this year. It was just a matter of finding the guests, buying the favors and dressing up. If you ever get the chance to go to the Magic Castle, in Hollywood, you should go. No questions asked just go. My first visit was with my parents a few months ago during Sunday Brunch, my second, was over lunch with the member and last night, a group of 10 of us went for dinner to celebrate my hub's 33rd year of birth. If you can pick the time you can go, you should most definitely go at night. Why? ...Because after being at all 3 possible settings, it's the most fun and alive at night. Not to mention the food, especially the filet mignon and mash potatoes were sooooooo yummy!! Joining us for an evening out was the Regul's, the Hinojosa's, the Sam's, Ms. Krueger and Ms. Burke. We arrived at the Magic Castle only to find that Jon, Danielle and Krueger, yes, Krueger, were already there

So I never ever buy the warranties offered on stuff you purchase. Which is all the more puzzling that I would buy one for the car I bought last year! But I did and I just finished paying the warranty off. I was told I was supposed to get a cool new card to keep in my wallet but I never got one. So I called the dealership and asked, "What is up?" The very nice man took my vin number and input it into the system. His response was something I would have never expected. In the most upbeat and surprised tone he says "WOW!" Which sparked me to say "What?" And he says, "You have the very best warranty that we offer." "Really?" I said surprised. "Yes, you do." he replies. He goes on to tell me that I have a lifetime warranty on my car and that the most I will ever have to pay on it if I take it in is $100 bucks. I couldn't believe this. I have taken my car into the dealership before and never paid less then $50

Last Saturday in 85 degree weather and in shorts, the hub and I went to buy our Christmas Tree. We decided to buy one of those flocked ones. I never had a flocked tree before but I must say, I am very impressed and think that this is a feature that must be repeated going forward. I thought for sure when the hub put it on the car all the snow would blow off but it didn't but it was kinda funny driving home though because some snow did blowoff so it looked like it was snowing on what was otherwise, a beautiful sunny Southern Californian day. Here are a few fun pictures. P.S. Happy Birthday today to my brother, Matthew who turns the big 3-0!!

Our third day in Paris took the hub and I back to Norte Dame as the hub wanted to get some photos in the daylight. After photographing every statue and gargoyle possible we went off to shop and buy food for an alfresco picnic in the park. We walked around the Latin Quarter and then moved to the St. Germain area. We went to eclectic shops (a candle maker, a perfumeries, etc.), stopped for some liquid hot chocolate sludge at Les Duex Maggots and a ton of food places (like a bread shop, a chocolatier, more bakeries, etc). Eventually, we ended up at The Bon Marche a huge department store. We had a blast shopping, they had this really cool kids' section with all kinds of educational toys I had never seen before. American kids are sure missing out!! There were several things I wanted but we settled on a few presents for other people and a tea pot for us. Yes, another tea pot. After shopping we ended up in The Bon Marche's Grand Food Emporium. They had food from all over t

Our second day in Paris took us to the amazing Louvre, home of the Mona Lisa. Along with the Eiffel Tower, this is another must see in Paris. With over 35,000 pieces of art you can't help but be impressed. The Louvre has so much to see that they basically have 3 museums roofed under their structure each section featuring a famous French artist. We spent about 6 hours looking at everything from the Mona Lisa, to an unwrapped mummy to Greek statues but honestly you could have spent days in the place. Everywhere you look something captures your imagination. Walking through the place makes you realize how talented mankind is. If aliens were to come and destroy the Earth (sorry I am working on a lot of alien movies right now)all you would have to do is show them Louvre to show what an impressive species, humans are. The hub and I had a ton of fun taking pictures with his nice camera. If you are interested they are up on Facebook. After the long day at the Museum we headed out to

Honestly, after seeing the Eiffel Tower I didn't think Paris could get any better...but it did! After the Eiffel Tower we kept walking north to Champs-Elysees and saw the Arc de Triomphe, a massive monument that Napoleon built to honor his armies. Like the Eiffel Tower, we didn't go up in it but rather took pictures and recited Meg Ryan lines from "French Kiss" (ok, only I did this not my hubby). Then we walked the Champs-Elysees Street which was decked out with Christmas lights and amazing store windows! The windows on that street were single handedly the best store windows I have ever seen. I must say the French know how to entice a shopper! I have never seen so many wonderful shoes, bags and yes, cars! As if I wasn't already impressed enough, there was a huge ferris wheel at the end of street. Walking down that street was like being in a Gene Kelly movie. Just when I think Paris can't get any better we hop a boat, via the Beatuex-Mouchess compa

So I have this little black book that I keep that holds all my greatest wishes, dreams and goals in. One of the things written down was to visit Paris. I love it when I am able to cross things out in the book! Besides Paris, I have always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower. So when I woke up on Tuesday, November 25th I was excited. I was humming all the way to the Amsterdam Central Train Station "I'm going on a journey, a journey, a journey. I am going on a journey, to see what I can see. Hurrah!" Our train to Paris left at 8:26AM on platform 13. We arrived at the train station a bit early so we had time to grab breakfast, buy some magazines and look at the strange ways they sell food. See picture. We had bought our train tickets online with Thalys, so it was pretty easy just to show up and hop on board. I must say riding the train to Paris was one of my favorite things about the trip. I loved taking the speed train. Not only did we get comfy seats but great w

So after the pancakes, we walked for what seemed like forever. We checked out Lambiek, which claims to be the world's oldest comic book shop. Full of a ton of books from around the world, I thought for sure the hub would find something - he likes the comic books. We in the USofA make most of the books he reads and they are doubly expensive overseas so no book was to be bought that day although, it was neat to look at everything in the shop. I liked all the art and the posters. After comics, we walked to Bloemenmarket, a street, flower market which was very colorful despite the light white snowfall that encompassed us while were checking it out. I really wanted to buy a ton of tulips but alas, the US government does not let you bring plants or seeds back into the country. Oh well pretty tulips, I won't be seeing you in my backyard anytime soon. Next we walked around the canal streets and visited the millions of shops and malls. Amsterdam is really a shoppers paradise if y

We got up the next morning and we knew exactly what our plan was, to go to the Anne Frank House and to eat at the best pancake house in Amsterdam, which, ironically, was next to the Anne Frank House. All the tour books said to arrive at the Anne Frank House early or you will stand in a queue forever. Seeing as we slept in until about 10:30AM we weren't exactly early. Sure enough upon our arrival there was a line. It didn't look too bad and then we went around the corner and saw the real line. Standing in line I discovered my refugee look of the trip. It was cold so I put my hat on and then I took my hood from my sweater and put that over the hat and then I wrapped my scarf around my face. It was so attractive, NOT! The wait wasn't actually too bad. I have stood in line at Disney longer. We got inside and paid 7 Euros. If you have never read Anne's book, I will give you a brief description to bring you up to speed. During WWII, Anne Frank was a young Jewish gi

So we landed in The Netherlands at 12:30 in the afternoon on Saturday, November 22. From where I was seated in coach I spotted Brian exiting. He saw me and we exchanged a smile. I wasn't far from the exit door so I meet up with him quickly. We exchanged stories about our experiences. He did feel guilty about sitting in Business Class. Determined not to complain I tried my hardest not to say anything bad. I quickly explained my book reading, game playing and sleeping experience. I informed him that the food wasn't very good before he went into telling me about how he watched a ton of movies and couldn't sleep. At first he spoke like the experience was wasted on him and that I should have totally taken the seat but after chatting a bit I could tell by his "ooh this" and "ooooh that" that he had a pretty good time in Business Class. I did mange to point that out to him. hehehe The first order of business after landing was trying to find a place to

"We are going on a journey, a journey, a journey....We are going on a journey to see what we can see. Hurrah! Hurrah!" Imagine these lines sung to the tune of the Peter Pan song "Following the Leader" and you will have the sense of the song I made up. A little known fact about me is that I like to make up my own songs. Mostly they only make sense to me, unless you are a husband who is learning Lollipop speak. Do you have this tune in your head yet? To be off to Europe for Thanksgiving this year was such a treat for the mister and me. The start of our trip to Europe began at 2:45PM on Friday, November 21st. That is the time my friend, Jeff, picked us up at our house to take us to Terminal 2 of LAX. We got to the airport thinking we were sitting in coach but to our surprise, the lady at the ticket counter said we were on standby. She said all free tickets were standby tickets but as we were special guests we were at the top of the list. I am not sure about yo

Amsterdam 10. The view from the Oriental City restaurant in China Town 9. Visiting the Van Gogh Musuem 8. Walking through Vondel Park and trying to find the Film Museum 7. Ham and Cheese Crossaints from the bakery 6. Our local bar, Cafe t'Blaauwhooft 5. Drinking beers while watching Quantum Solace (with Dutch subtitles) at the movies 4. The lasanga at Yam Yam but you better have reservations or they will forget your pizza order 3. Taking up bar seats at the bar, 't Arendsnest and trying one of their 350 brews 2. Touring the Anne Frank Huis 1. The pancakes at The Pancake Bakery!!! They were the best ever! We ate there twice. Paris 10. Shopping at Champs-Elysees & The Bon Marche 9. Hot chocolate at Les Deux Magots 8. Any bakery aka boulougerie and all the chocolat pain 7. Gathering up food all over the city (from the best places) to have a picnic in the park. 6. Watching the naked girls in LIDO 5. The beautiful Notre-Dame and lighting a candle for my gramps 4. Doing the