chumbama

I've been laid up on the couch for the past three days with the latest cold/flu bug that's been going around. I'm grrr-ticked off that I'm sick because people have been coming into the office when they know darned well that they've got something. So, their over it by the weekend and back at work while I miss the unseasonable summer-like weather on my days off, stuck inside taking over-the-counter drugs like clockwork. (I think the pseudophedrine is making me cranky, eh?)

Last week, one of my co-workers and I planned an inauguration viewing party (yes, during work hours...it's history in the making!) with cupcakes. I made the Obama-esque toppers with our logo thanks to a nifty app from Paste Magazine, but may not be able to enjoy the sea of Lilliputian rally posters on toothpicks (they are so cute!) because I may have to take another sick day. I'm considering dropping them off in the morning for the office crowd to enjoy, but I've been having slows starts in the morning with this cold and may not make it there in time. If we don't make use of these toppers, I just might head out to Legoland and sneak them onto the parade route of their inauguration replica built out of legos.

i won

Earlier this week, I received a call that my raffle ticket was the winning ticket for an opportunity quilt from the Country Loft. I've purchased so many raffle tickets for quilts that I really couldn't remember who they were or when I even entered their raffle, but I was totally excited to have won whatever it was. Turns out they had a booth at the past Race for the Cure in Balboa Park.

We picked the quilt up this weekend from their adorable shop which is a converted quaint house behind a white picket fence. The shop was chaotic and full of quilters. No sign of a recession in there. Turns out they were holding an Open House and the quilt enthusiasts were abuzz signing up for classes and buying supplies for new projects.

When I let one of the ladies know that I was there to pick up the quilt, the ears of the shop workers perked up and they all peeked in from various doorways to get a look at me. They seemed more excited than me!

The quilt is beautiful and filled with vibrant colors! They mentioned the quilt maker and quilters names, but I forgot them a few seconds after hearing them. Fortunately, one of the ladies suggested that they contact the quilt maker and have her create a label for me including the quilt pattern name too. They seemed happy to hear that I completed my first quilt last summer and made sure I had their class list in hand before leaving with the quilt.

lord have mercy

Holiday breaks spent with loved ones typically include mindless hours in front of the t.v. watching marathons of shows you didn't watch during the season (most for a good reason) and movies which didn't make the must-see list earlier in the year.

As I baked my test batches of Barefoot Contessa's pecan shortbread cookies, Steven Seagal's direct-to-video Kill Switch was playing in the background. This movie is priceless! I think his on again/off again accent is supposed to be Southern, but it sounds more like he's trying to channel his inner Isaac Hayes (who plays the Coroner). Now, imagine Steven Seagal referring to people as "Baby" using a Marky Mark intonation. In one scene, he used his long drawl to exclaim, "Lord have mercy!" three times. At one point, I almost thought he was going to call out to the po-po, but it was only half-baked as " the poh-lice". Not too surprised to find out that multi-talented Seagal wrote the script. (He's in a blues band too.) The fight scenes are just as awesome. While the stunt double is getting pounded, they splice in shots of Seagal throwin' punches and slicing the air with a knife.

Most memorable scene for me? When B pointed out that the bad guy and his soon-to-be victim enjoyed tea time before the crime and we noticed that we had the same exact tray. The tray was a thrift store find back in our old Hillcrest neighborhood and was featured as the background on one of my older posts.

What a way to start off my viewing experience for 2009. Let's hope I get back to sewing before I can get my hands on a copy of Above the Law when his accent changes to portray a master of Aikido.

Happy New Year!