WRITER'S CRAMP...OR PURE LAZINESS??

I know that my blog needs an update......okay, I get that.
I am working on it, but I struggle to come up with material that is more or less based solely around my super-exciting life.

Well, I spend most of my weekends home watching movies and crocheting. Sometimes I'll even switch it up a bit and do some knitting instead. Wild, I know!!
Also, I get to go to a Stake Primary Presidency meeting tonight. Please try not to be jealous. Ü

I do have a couple of things I want to post about and will try to get something new here in the next week or so.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous 2009 so far.

CHRISTMAS MUSIC...."THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY"

For the past month or so, I have been listening to the "Sounds of the Seasons" on FM100 at work (about 8 hours a day). I do love Christmas music, but there are some songs that I definitely enjoy better than others, and there are also some that I can't even listen to that drive me crazy. I am sure you have your own favorites, but here are some of mine.

The Good

Contemporary

Christmas Shoes - New Song (The movie with Rob Lowe & Kimberly Williams-Paisley is also one of my favorites)

Christmas Cannon - TransSiberian Orchestra

Do They know it's Christmas Time - BandAid

Where are you Christmas? - "The Grinch That Stole Christmas"/Faith Hill

Unto You This Night - Garth Brooks

Traditional/Hymns

The First Noel

O Holy Night

O Come All Ye Faithful

Still, Still, Still

The Forgotten Carols (from previous post)

I Was Not His Father, He was Mine

Let Him In

I Cannot Find My Way

You Were Not There in Bethlehem

The Bad/Ugly (Can't stand - must change station)
Ave Maria - Barbara Streisand
Wonderful Christmas Time - Paul McCartney
Charlie Brown Christmas

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Little St. Nick (Beach Boys) - most Christmas songs by the Beach Boys

Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart

Feliz Navidad

Santa Baby

TEN YEAR.......NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH TENURE

When I arrived home from my mission my sister was working at an Engineering Firm in downtown Salt Lake City. She got me hired on to work there part-time as her assistant while I finished up school at the University of Utah. She quit when she had her first child and I basically took over as the "accounting department." In March I will have been with the company for 10-years!

We had our company Christmas Party tonight at the Little America Hotel downtown. Those employees that are coming up a 10-year anniversary get a watch at the party. It is engraved on the back.

DOMINION ENGINEERING

10 YEARS

TRISHA JORDAN

I feel so spoiled. Not only did I score myself a really nice watch, but they also gave out Costco Cash giftcards.

I feel so blessed to have such a great job, especially right now where there are so many who are out of work.

Along with having a great job, I work with some great people.

My four bosses (the partners) are fantastic and have been great to work for. Among many other perks, I never really have to ask for time off. I basically just tell them when I will be gone and as long as I get my work done, they don't care.

Karen, the receptionist, and I are the only females in the office, but we work with 25 other great guys. About once week we get a group together and go out to eat. We call it the "lunch bus." Karen is great to stay at the office and answer phones while I go out with the boys.

CHRISTMAS QUESTIONNAIRE

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Either. I do love hot chocolate, but never turn down egg nog. I do like to dilute egg nog just a bit with either milk or sprite.
Colored lights on the tree, or white?
White is really nice, but all of one color can look nice on a flocked tree, so I guess it depends....... but none of the multi-colored strands.
When do you put up your decorations?
Well, I don't have any up yet. I know, I know......It is just me here at my house and everytime I think about it it sounds like a lot of work and then if I don't put them up, I won't have any to take down and put away. Can we say LAZY! I usually do put them up although I only have one box. If it doesn't fit in that box, too bad. I don't have much room for storage. It really varies quite a bit from year to year, but I don't think they should ever go up before Thanksgiving.

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Cheese balls and egg nog. (Does that count?)
Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Oh, there are many... but this one was memorable. There are 4 girls in my family and I guess that one year my dad was really tired of always shopping for barbies, dolls, etc. so they decided to switch things up a bit. We had a "boy" Christmas. Among other things we got 4x4 stompers, a racecar track & video games. We LOVED it, but we were not happy that my dad kept stealing all of our toys to play with. That had never been a problem in the past.
When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't remember for sure, but I think I was over at my grandparent's house and my older sister slipped and accidently said something that confirmed it. But I don't think that I was really surprised. I think I had suspected something.
Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We used to have the family party for my mom's side of the family on Christmas Eve or a day or two before. All the cousins drew names for presents and we got to open that present and any from my grandparents, etc. No I pretty much save them all for Christmas Morning.
How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
What tree?
Snow! Love it or dread it?
It depends.... I love it when it snows a bunch and then the sun comes out and dries up the roads. I think snow with sun is beautiful. I don't however enjoy driving in white knuckle conditions, but I don't know that I dread it. I do like my winter wardrobe better than that of the summer. I love layering with turtlenecks, sweaters, etc.
Can you ice skate?
I am going to go with a "no" on this one. If my life was dependant upon me straping blades to my feet and making it across a frozen lake, I could probably manage it, but no graceful triple toe loops or anything.
Do you remember your favorite gift?
Two that stand out were my two Cabbage Patch Kids......

I had (still have) a boy with curly blonde hair (Timothy Spencer) and a preemie girl (Jeanie Jerri).

I also received a pair of white Girbaud jeans one year. No only did I think I was cool wearing Girbaud jeans, but they were the best fitting pair of jeans I have ever had!
What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Spending time with family and remembering the birth of the Savior.
What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Pomegranate/Cinnamon Jello salad with real whipping cream.
Candy canes! Yuck or Yum?
YUM!
Ever recycled a Christmas present?
Guilty.

"THE FORGOTTEN CAROLS"

Years ago I was given a CD of Michael McLean's "The Forgotten Carols." Although there are a couple of songs on the CD that I always skip (they kind of bug me), there are many that I love! I LOVE Christmas music and it was nice to have some "new" songs to add to my music library.

I also believe that music can bring a spirit that often words can not bring, try as they may.

Every year I kept telling myself that I was going to got to the performance of "The Forgotten Carols" and year after year, I got busy, never got around to finding someone to go with, etc. and I never went. So this year I was bound and determined to make it even if I even if I had to attend by myself.

This year I found a friend to go with and we went this last Thursday. It was a lot different than I had anticipated, but it was really good.
I am soooo grateful for people in this world that are blessed with great talent and that choose to share that talent with the world for us to enjoy. I would LOVE to be able to play the piano like Michael McLean.