As I sit back and recuperate from the operation last week, I find myself reflecting upon the year and the lessons that I have learned. So in no particular order here are my lessons for the year...
1) Panda knows how to give the stink eye.
2) You do not need to have a 'special someone' in order to enjoy Valentine's Day. (Okay, I bought Samson on Feb. 13 -- Go for it Dr. Freud).
3) Not everyone is aware of the 'no double dipping' rule in public....Isn't that right Juan?!
4) I was a Carbotarian, not a vegetarian.
5) I LOVE boneless skinless chicken breast.
6) Ask and ye shall receive...in reference to surgery last week.
7) If a dog is barking too much on TV, Panda will indeed become insecure, stand up, and pee on that spot -- yup, even if it's on the couch -- learned that one this morning!
8) I can salsa and shimmy like no one else! -- Thank you Zumba
9) One child can make or break a classroom.
10) I deserve to have HBO!
11) I DO NOT like Morphine or Vicodan -- Which has lead me to my next lesson...
12) I'd make a terrible druggie.
13) Cupcakes are REALLY important to some people.

Stay tuned, there are a few more days left in the year. I will add to the list if needed.

Now, I know many of you enjoy your Christmas sweaters. I know the little decorations make it even more festive. However, I am sorry to inform you that they are just as hideous as those 'reindeer sweaters' we all made fun of in the '70's! I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that they should be banned and all remaining ones be destroyed.

Now, to those of us who are not fans of the monstrosities, we will have to find something new to make fun of. But being that many of us are cynics, it shouldn't be hard to find a new target. Just so that we are all clear, if you own one, it has been made fun of by your friends, colleagues, and family.

Recently I went to a training where the presenter was indeed wearing one of these...things. I have no idea what she was saying as I spent the entire time making cracks about her wardrobe. And to make matters worse, it was from the '80's! Yes folks, if you own any clothes from the '80's I assure you it is time to LET IT GO!! And if you're not sure...the shoulder pads are a dead giveaway. Yep, you guessed it, the presenter not only had a Christmas sweater on, but it also had shoulder pads. I mean, how is anyone supposed to take a person serious when they dress like that? And I want to say that there may have been kittens on the sweater. I totally remember the tree with 'tinsel' woven into the sweater. That one provided hours of entertainment. Do you really want to provide this much entertainment for others around you? I didn't think so.

So take this little beauty. I know, I can hear some of you asking, "What's wrong with that?" "It's festive" "It's cute". I assure you, this is neither festive nor cute. In fact, it screams, "I'M A FRUMPY MIDDLE AGED HOUSEWIFE". No, you do not need to be a middle aged housewife to wear one. There are plenty who are wearing these...things. Young, old, married, single, straight, lesbian....No matter what you are, you are screaming, "I'M A FRUMPY MIDDLE AGED HOUSEWIFE".

So to sum up this post...Christmas sweaters are bad, EVERYONE makes fun of them, they scream, "I'M A FRUMPY MIDDLE AGED HOUSEWIFE", and well, you should just get rid of them. 

And if you are a friend reading this, I love you, just not your holiday sweaters...sorry.

So I went into the hospital to pre-register for my surgery tomorrow. Now I realize that I do not live in the most urban area's, but I do expect a certain level of life skills and knowledge...especially when I'm at the hospital. Okay, I have realized in my years of living here, that I need to lower my expectations...in regards to service, knowledge, timeliness, etc. I accept this fact (and yes, it also makes me sad as I may have been the teacher of one of these individuals). So as I am registering, I was giving my dad's information. Now he lives in New Hudson, MI. As I relayed this information to the receptionist person, he asked if it was by the river. At first I was thrown off. Then I believe he made some comment about the Hudson River. I told him that that river was in New York. He then went on to verify that there was such a river. I assured him that there was and that....it...was...in...New...York. To which he laughed and said, "Well, I don't know where it is".

Yes folks, this is further proof that MANY kids are getting left behind and that we DO indeed need to teach History and Geography!