Music Monday #14 and Weekend Review {12/1}

MUSIC MONDAY

It's after US Thanksgiving which means it's publicly acceptably by all standards to listen to Christmas music!!!  WOOOOO!!  Not that I haven't been listening to Holly on Sirius since they started playing Christmas music, but that's not the point here.

It's the beginning of the month, which means there's a theme!  This month we're going with: your favorite holiday song.

For me, there are lots of options, and last week I shared TSO with you, but this week I'm going more traditional.

Carrie Underwood - Do You Hear What I Hear?

 

Lots of people have performed this song, but I enjoyed this version as well.
Christmas is coming!  Christmas is coming!

TUESDAY

We're really takin' it back this week since it was action packed and a long weekend, bear with me (or don't, I don't care.  Tuesday day wasn't super impressive, but Wednesday was Mr. Mystery's bday and since we had so much going on, I knew there probably wasn't going to be an opportunity to take him out for bday dinner since we both had to work and Teh Sister was coming to SC for TurkeyDay.  We went to Cypress on Tuesday night, per Teh SC House Finder's suggestion for a fancy birthday dinner.  It was AWESOME.

The ceiling lights changed colors and to rainbow lights in a classy establishment, I was pumped.

The wine list came on an iPad.  I wish I was kidding, but that's the level of classy this place was.  The server was very informative about all the things, including the restaurant and history of each dish, which was cool.  Walking in, I was kinda worried because there weren't very many people there.  Then again, it was a Tuesday night at a pretty pricey place.  One of the reasons I decided on Cypress was because they had reservations available at 1830.  We ended up not getting there till almost 7 because traffic was moving at a snail's pace since it had been raining for 3 days.  I called and said we would be late, and when we arrived, I realized why there would be no issue accommodating a later arrival time.

We discussed what we wanted to order, and agreed that we were going to share a salad and our entrees because that's what we do.

Charcuterie appetizer.
It was interesting and you definitely had to keep an open mind to eat head cheese.

Butter lettuce salad.. or what was left of it.  I forgot to take a photo because it smelled so delicious.

NOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMm

Salmon Wellington with roasted cauliflower.

Steak Diane w/ polenta

Sadly, we weren't even able to finish everything because we were so full.  Everything was so delicious.  We looked at the dessert menu, but we were too full.

The server brought birthday truffles for us, which ended up being perfect for dessert.

We were impressed at the still standing candle.

After dinner, we went home and it was bedtime, since we both had to be at work early.

WEDNESDAY

After working from 0630-1200, I went I was supposed to work Wednesday night from 1830-0100, but I called in to say I wasn't able to make it with zero regrets since I'd already worked from 0630-1200.  Mr. Mystery went on a motorcycle ride in the afternoon after we cleaned the house.  I spent the afternoon applying for jobs and waiting on Teh Sister and company to arrive.  Teh Sister didn't arrive until after 2200.  After we made pies and cranberry sauce for Thursday's lunch, it was bedtime.

Phil and Meri were keeping the guest bed warm.
Phil has missed having access to a guest bed, the couches just aren't good enough for him.

THURSDAY

Thursday, Mr. Mystery woke up early and started work on the turkey.  There was a TV battle in the morning where Mr. Mystery turned on ESPN and I almost had a head-splosion because I knew we were going to be watching football all day and the LAST thing I wanted to watch before I had to watch several hours worth of football is football win-guessing and replays and ESP-fucking-N.  OMFG, NO.  I flipped out.  I argued that the boys got football as soon as it started, but we were watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and NOT ESPN, even if the parade wasn't started yet, NO ESPN.  NO.

We had aimed for 1pm for the dinner to be served.  Our neighbor has invited herself and her son to our dinner, literally.  I also invited a friend who was stationed with me in Virginia Beach who just moved to SC.  Everything was done right at 1, despite Mr. Mystery's estimation that everything would be done at 1230.  The neighbor and her son literally ate and ran after she made plates for them to eat later, which was only slightly awkward after she gave my friend the 20 questions run down which was only preceded by her telling us she thought he was cute when he went outside.

After she left, lunch was much more relaxed.  After we finished eating, we played Cards Against Humanity for a while until my friend had to leave.  I came in 2nd, which was pretty good for me for 2014.  I've really not been on my A-game and I realized what the problem was.  I wasn't going for as dirty as possible, I was going for literal, which I find hilarious, but few other people do, with the exception of my original CAH family (Teh Monopoly, Mr. Kilt, and another former VX-1 coworker).

Before we put everything away, we made dinner bowls for each of the dogs.  Teh MD Adult Roomie turned me on to the idea that the pups get Thanksgiving too.  Mr. Mystery had boiled the turkey neck and gizzards (yum right?), so I pulled the meat off the neck (cause no cooked bones for puppies!) and then added other approved noms for dogs.  Then I topped it all off with some acidophilus so that way no one had a stinky butt.

After all the non-family company left, Teh Sister dyed my hair dark purple.

Gentle Readers, I'm crushed.  I loved the blue.  LOOOOOOVVVVEEEDDD it.  I got more compliments on it in the days after I decided to redye it than I had the entire time it had been blue.  My roots were starting to come in and the problem with blue is that it requires bleaching my hair (which in itself is a very scary thing), but that damages my hair and costs dollas, and then would have to be dyed blue, which is more dollas and hair damage.  I don't really have the dollas to devote to hair maintenance, honestly.  It's just not in the Target employee budget.

The other issue is, I'm still on the job hunt.  I had the interview with the temp agency, who I haven't heard from again, and she brought up the blue hair before I could.  It was going to be a problem and I knew it.  I also knew that when Teh Sister was in town was the best opportunity to get it done.

Siiiiiiiigh.
Teh Sister and Teh Utah Specialist and my Nephdogs left after my hair was done did to go back to Fayettenam, sadly.

Soon after, I headed to bed to take a nap since I had to be at Target at midnight:30 on Thanksgiving night for Black Thursday Friday.  I set my alarm incorrectly and ended up waking up at midnight:55, which set off a slight panic attack since we'd been told to NOT be late.  Oops.  I ended up arriving an hour late, exactly and staying an hour extra.  No one said anything to me, but I feel more certain that my Target employment is definitely seasonal now.  This doesn't really hurt my heart, butttt still.

FRIDAY

I came home Friday morning at 0730 and went back to bed.  Mr. Mystery had gotten up and went to work and was already back home.  We slept until around 11, which I finally got up and had some leftovers for breakfast/lunch.  Mr. Mystery inquired if there was anything I'd like to do and he suggested maybe seeing a movie.  We had discussed seeing St. Vincent when we saw previews for it, so I decided on that.  We arrived right at 1435, when it started, so yay for 15 minutes of previews!

The movie was really good.  I laughed, I bawled (openly, in a public place, which is significant despite last Wednesday's post).  It's worth seeing in the theater.  It didn't hit my "child of divorce" buttons like I expected AND the preview isn't the entire movie.  WIN.  I hate when they do that.

We got out of the movie around 4ish, which was too early for dinner.  I suggested we hit up the outlets since we were right there (and I hadn't been yet).  Mr. Mystery had been eyeing a pair of Oakley sunglasses and had said at some point in the past few weeks something about taking me and showing me (this was when I was considering getting them for his bday).

The outlets were way busier than I expected for Friday afternoon.  Yes, it was Black Friday, but I anticipated everyone already being done with their shopping since Black Friday is now Black Thursday.

We both ended up getting new sunglasses, WOOT.  I told Mr. Mystery they were a Cmas present and I've pretty much resigned myself to neither of us having gifts under the tree.  I could hold out on giving stuff to him, but Mr. Mystery is horrible about holding onto gifts apparently...  Le sigh.

We walked into a few other stores, but didn't end up purchasing anything.  Finally, we decided to head out for dinner.  We quickly decided on sushi and we went to Sushi 101, which I'd found on Yelp.  It was cheap and delicious and it's close, which is awesome.

We finally headed back home to feed the beasts, since it was way past their eatin' time.  Not too long after, we headed to bed.

SATURDAY

I had to be at Target at 0630 and I worked till noon.  Mr. Mystery was out on a ride when I got home, so I had lunch and took a nap on the couch while the dogs enjoyed the open backdoor.  Finally, I decided to be productive and started on some job applications.  /wrist.

Mr. Mystery came home at 1730, right in time for us to get ready and head to Teh SC House Finder's house for our weekly dinner date.  We've all decided we like the weekly date and should continue to do it.  WIN.  They were doing their family Thanksgiving meal and I had packed a bag with cranberry sauce and Mr. Mystery's Russian salad thing he made and a bottle of wine and The Game of Things... that I left on the kitchen counter.. Le siiiiigh.  It's because I was trying so hard to get Mr. Mystery, who kept asking me the same questions over and over again, out of the house.  It's good he's cute.

Dogs 9, Humans:8.

We had some delicious noms and toasted some marshmallows over the firepit.  Around 2230, Mr. Mystery and I (and Meri and Phil) were pooped, so it was time for us to head home.  It was definitely bedtime, after a shower to wash off the smoke smell, after we got home.

SUNDAY

I found a church to try out on as I was laying in bed Saturday night, so I got up and got ready and headed to church.. only to find the parking lot completely empty when I got there.  I checked their website again and saw the calendar said it was a combined service this week.  FAIL.

I headed back home since God obviously wanted me to accomplish some laundry and hang out with Mr. Mystery, despite my good intentions.  I worked on more job applications while I was waiting on Mr. Mystery to get out of bed.  He asked what I wanted to do and I suggested Magnolia Plantation and Gardens.

After eating Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch, we headed out.  Since November and December are buy one get one free if you bring a canned food item, we were able to get one admission free.  Sadly, we still had to pay the $8 each to do the house tour and another $8 each for the swamp tour.  The buy one get one only covered the gardens admission.  Bleh.  $43 later, we were in.

I was not a fan of our house tour guide.  Her descriptions and timelines were completely confusing.  She also said "um" entirely way too much.  I can judge, my first job ever was a costumed tour guide for a historic home (Fort Defiance).  These tour guides weren't even dressed up for the period of the house.  She did point out some original house items, which were the interesting parts for me.  Really, I just wanted to stay in the rooms with the bookshelves and flip through 18th century books.  Mr. Mystery kept trying to open doors and drawers that were closed.  The most disappointing thing about the tour was when we were told that in 1995 they had extended the porch.  WHAT?!  Ugh.

The most disappointing thing about our entire visit was when I was trying to take off my polarizing camera filter and I dropped it on the gravel covered ground and chipped it.  Within seconds after realizing my polarized lens filter was chipped (directly in the center, of course), I dropped my UV filter on the ground too!  I almost cried.  Seriously, almost lost it in a public place for the 2nd day in a row, but the UV filter wasn't chipped, thankfully, and now I have something to add to my amazon wishlist..... Le siiiigh.

After the house tour, we walked the gardens.  We discussed coming back in the spring when more flowers are in bloom.  The grounds were gorgeous.  I started getting tired while we were walking the grounds, so I knew it was time to do the swamp tour before I was too tired to do it at all.

DSLR selfie.
challenge accepted.

It didn't take as long as I anticipated, which I was grateful for.  Mr. Mystery kept asking me if I was in a hurry because I was walking so fast.  I realize now that I was walking fast so I could get back faster because I was so tired.  He gave me that, "You can run a half marathon but you can't walk around for a few hours without getting tired?" crap.  I shot back with, "Walking and running are ENTIRELY different."  He had nothing else to say.

We've discussed recently the idea of going on runs together because we are both having a tight pants problem.  We do plenty of eating and apparently the physical labor from Target isn't enough to counter my eating habits, /sads.  The idea of running is nice, until I start to move and my back catches and walking hurts too much so I end up sitting on the couch to recuperate.  I've watched the scale climb and it makes me sad.

I'm saving the Magnolia Gardens photos for another day what with their being 319 photos total.  It was the first time I've taken out my DSLR in months.  It felt good to be behind the camera again.  There were some adjustments that had to be taken due to Mr. Mystery never having been around Camera Megan before.  Since Teh Bear was also a photographer, we could work along side each other without much interference.  Mr. Mystery doesn't realize when he walks the wrong way he blocks the light with his towering height.  He also didn't understand when I asked him to hold a branch in place for a flower photo, that one shutter click didn't mean his duties were done... but he thought so.  Le siiiigh.. It's good that he's cute.

Despite having to work, it was a pretty good holiday weekend.  I didn't really do black friday shopping, other than sunglasses, which was something I had planned on purchasing at some point anyways.

Last thing for the laundry ladies...  are there any chores you prefer your significant other not do?  Mr. Mystery "started the laundry for me" while I was at work on Saturday and I don't know how to make him stop "helping."  Laundry is my jam.  I hate putting it away, but I'd rather put it away than have him wash my bras (which we finally covered in the laundry rules) or come home to a dryer full of socks and underwear and towels and a load on standby with khaki pants, white shirts, and red shirts.

Color shirts do not go with the lights/whites.  No.

Seriously though, it's good that he's cute (and has the best intentions).  There could be way worse things to deal with.

Happy Monday, Gentle Readers!!


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Linking up with these ladies:

Music Monday w/ Stories, Songs, & Praise and Love Woke Me Up This Morning | Monday Morning Gossip w/ Join the Gossip | Weekend Recap w/ Bella and the City | Weekending w/ B Loved Boston