I have been suitably chastized for not posting more often. But I figured the whole move or don’t move discussion must be wearing a little thin for other folks. I know it is getting quite old for me, but I can’t avoid it. Additionally, the stress in my normally non-stressful life has created a huge kink in my neck for the last few days. So, let’[s not talk about it right now.
Tonight, we are supposed to get a big snowstorm. There is this bizarre phenomenon in the midwest when a big storm is predicted: everyone runs to the grocery store and buys all the milk and bread. I don’t know if it is post-traumatic stress from the Blizzard of ’78, or what, but it is insane. I already went shopping this week, so we have milk and bread, but the urge to go to the store was almost overwelming. I went to the library and got a few books and videos instead.
This weekend is the first of TWO birthday parties for M. One for the extended family, one for M’s friends. Our house is too small for the two to be combined, so two parties it is. I will refrain from ranting about the ridiculous amounts of money that appear to have been spent on other preschooler birthday parties we have attended, but note for the record that I am appalled by the decadence. M’s parties will be small cake and ice cream affairs at our house. (Sadly, this is because the ice cream store was booked that day, so I can’t avoid cleaning the house to my great disappointment.)
Also, we have to get our act together to prepare for Chinese New Year next week. We need to get our banner thingys, clean the house, and buy some groceries. I think we also need to get some new hongbao because the one’s Mr. A bought apparently have the name “Liu” on them. I am assuming these are supposed to be given by the Liu family, which is not the name of anyone in our house. Damn illiteracy strikes at the Chinese dollar store.
I am off to watch Lost. I hope it doesn’t suck.
It’s supposed to hit us in St Louis. I’m looking forward to a day off work.
Dude. We have hongbao out the ying yang here. We’ll be dispensing both Hello Kitty AND Fuwa (Olympic mascot) hongbao this year. I guess I should rustle up some crisp dollar bills. Have been cleaning like a mad woman this week. Or rather. purging. I’m in major purge mode. The cleaning is secondary. Let me know if you need some of these charcater driven hongbao and I’ll go to the post office. For you. Only for you.
Or the result of the Blizzard of ’67, which I remember vividly, where we were stuck at home in the near North Side of Chicago with no snowplows, no public transit, three feet of snow, and my best friend having spent that night and being stuck for 3 days. For a seven-year-old, this is Heaven.
On the bday party front…I spent $$ to rent a place at the local health club because it has a play thingie, so you can herd all the kiddies out and tell them to run around and get their energy used up a bit. Everything else was what I’d consider pretty low-key in terms of dollars. Time? That’s a different matter.
Ooog. Hongbao. Ooog. Cleaning house?! Ack!
I really enjoyed reading your link to the Blizzard of ’78. Fond memories indeed! I was raised north of Dayton. As I recall, we were out of school for two weeks. Is that right? Surely I’m remembering that wrong!
CNY….we’re in full swing here too. We are picking the brain of our exchange student and enjoying the preperations. I suggested to Yitong that she should take CNY off of school. She’s considering taking the 6th off so that she can spend time on the phone with her family. Sixteen aunts and uncles, seven cousins, two grandparents and her parents will all be at her grandmother’s that day. This might be the toughest time she’s had living here. We’ll see….surely our lame whitey attempt at celebrating will leave her wanting for her family even more. I sure intend to give it my all though.
Take care,
Traci
http://www.nickjr.com/shows/ni-hao-kai-lan/index.jhtml
What are your thoughts? Are you going to watch or not (if you have nick jr that is…)?
My four year old is just about to turn five too and I’m shelling out more than I’m happy with for his party because after all the other (rich) families at his preschool rented out these insane play places, how can I force him to have a crappy pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey party at home?? Really, I’m sure he’s be happy with a party at home, but what can I say, I’m a sucker.
In DC/NOVA when we are expecting a ‘big’ snowstorm people buy milk, bread, and toilet paper. I’m not sure how everyone runs out of those particular items just before a storm but apparently those are the favored comfort items of folks here. I prefer to stock up on cookies, canned food, and ice (because I’d like to not have to dump the contents of my fridge when the inevitable blackout hits…for whatever reason we lose power when too many people sneeze…I lived in Miami and we’d lose power in a category 3 or 4 hurricane not whenever it got a little breezy…sigh) not being a fan of bread soaked in milk.
It was the Blizzard of ’77 that caused my parents to move form Buffalo to Florida. I’ve thanked them ever since (I’m a warm weather person) although I do have to say, the stocking up always happens if a hurricane is on the way.
So what did you thin of last night’s episode of Lost?
We’re getting buried in upstate NY right now. What I love to remember is the winter we lived in Columbia, SC, and they got a whopping 3 inches, which the television station promptly dubbed “The Blizzard of 2001!!” and they let all the government employees out at noon when the first flakes started falling and everyone made a run on the grocery stores (which seems to be a nation-wide phenomenom). Everything was shit down. It was so hysterical to us native northern Appalchians. Heh.
I was all over the Clintonville Kroger yesterday, and now look. THERE’S NOTHING ON THE GROUND. Grrrr.
I grew up in Ohio. When I was single and living alone, I never had milk and bread in the my apartment but as soon as a big storm was predicted, I would find myself at the store with everyone else buying them. I don’t know why – back then I would have been happier with some smokes, frozen pizza, doritos and some videos. But it was ingrained in me to buy milk and bread.
Everything was shit down – tee hee…
that about describes what it looks like outside today….I am also in upstate NY…..schools all closed for the ice storm.
I’m a teacher, so no work because driving isn’t safe, but the girls and I went to the Party store to buy stuff for our CNY party. And this year, cultures collide since New Year’s Eve is also Ash Wed. What’s a girl to do?
Hey – happy snow storm. It’s only rain over here… I’d love to hear how you celebrate Chinese New Year’s… we’ve been doing the Chinese school celebration and, in past years, have gone into our daughter’s class for presentations/parties. At home we decorate (I let the Chinese husband do the cleaning for good luck thing) and have a family dinner. This year we are opening the doors to several families for a Lantern Festival party at the end of the celebration. OK so that’s when it fit in our calendars – we are having chinese food/dim sum – the kids’ll paint lanterns put glowsticks in them and parade around. It is interesting to note that Chinese husband, while growing up in the mid west, has no memories of CNY other than going to a restaurant w/ other families…
Stay warm you guys! It’s freezing here in Chiba, Japan, as well. And we got hit with snow last week. And we are expecting snow here tonight as well. Highs today? In my area it was a high of 37 degrees F. And lows are like *way* below 32 F. Really downright cold, I’d guess around 0 degrees honestly. And with the humidity it feels even worse! Feels even more cold. Feels like -40, ha ha ha. Seriously though! : ) Stay warm. And we will try too. We have floor heating set on like 80 degrees. And our house is warm with the central heating, which surprisingly most homes in Japan don’t have. So we will just stay in and stay warm. Brrr just thinking about outside. : )
PS, we had many a blizzards in Denver, when I grew up. Blizzard of 82, is what I remember. And we had to same thing as you mentioned, buy tons of groceries before a big storm and stock up. I have an American mentality and always buy a weekly set of groceries anyway. But in Japan, they buy their groceries on a daily basis. Meaning they will ride their bike and get groceries every single day for that particular day. Meanwhile, here I am in my Mazda MPV, minivan with a whole weeks worth.
So, I hear ya on the stocking up groceries thing. Yesterday at the store, and expecting to be slammed with the weather today. I bought 2 things of milk and 2 cartons of eggs and 2 loafs of bread. Plus my regular meats and veg and stuff. But, yeah, you made me laugh and smile, because it’s true what you said. We do always buy the milk and bread, don’t we? : )
PS, we always have small family birthday parties at home too. : )