A pig in a santa hat

I’ve noticed it’s December 23rd and thought I might do a holiday blog post.  Luckily I’ve been taking holiday-oriented photos throughout the month!

While in Walgreens earlier in December I noticed their aisles of holiday stuff and the pig in the santa hat caught my eye:

Of course I promptly bought them for a friend and shipped them off.

Just outside of walgreens (or maybe a block up) I was offered the opportunity to purchase a wee reindeer made of little stumps. I didn’t.

Speaking of reindeer, the building I work in downtown had a “tenant holiday party” this year.  Tables of cupcakes and a live a cappella group belting out seasonal songs filled the lobby.  The tables were decorated with something everyone needs – gold glittering reindeer:

Holiday decorations are everywhere – even between the pure sugar and sweet and low packets at Einstein bagels, which is where I picked up this guy:

There was also the annual holiday potluck at work.  Being a particular kind of eater, I refrained from taking part as I usually don’t like much of the fare.  However, I did get some leftover cookies.  These are the worst kind of cookies.  King Sooper-made, whiter-than-white dough with bright green frosting and toxic sprinkles.  I ate something like three or four cookies…

The work potluck did have a theme! Tacky.  Seriously.  Even coming in late I did get to have my picture taken with a cardboard cut out of a couple wearing silly holiday sweaters and loving their pet.  Thankfully my friend Pat helped me out:

It wouldn’t be the holidays without ridiculous holiday cards, right?  I wished my family and friends a “meowy” holiday with this festive snowball of a cat:

 

Meowy Holidays!

11

 

It will pass

So I’m making this manchego-jalapeno beer bread the other night.  While cutting the jalapeno I absentmindedly licked my finger.  Instantly there was a soft burning sensation throughout my mouth and nose and sinuses.  The soft burning became more intense with every inhalation. My face was on fire. My tear ducts and mucus membranes leapt into action and I sat around the house with water pouring from my eyes and snot oozing out of my nose for about 90 minutes.  It was torturous.

I kept telling myself something throughout the experience: this will pass.  I had this happen in the past with my hand and knew that the pain would subside. While blowing my nose and trying to just sit with the throbbing face and deal with it, it occurred to me that “this will pass” is something I should keep in mind more often. How could I so rationally accept this while my face was on fire but I can’t get to that point when I’m feeling angry or sad or whatever?

Waiting room magazine

I think I’ve mentioned that I get allergy shots pretty regularly. If you recall, I have to sit in the allergist’s waiting room for 30 minutes after each shot – to make sure I don’t have a reaction.  I usually peruse email or the interwebs via my phone but sometimes I’ll look at the magazines.  The magazine selection is scant.
I want to share with you some of the disturbing ads I found.
Ad #1: Sally Hansen Airbrush legs ®
This stuff is available over the counter!? there are women who use this product regularly? This just seems like a product that exists to waste resources.  I guess I just don’t get the point…I mean it tells me that “Silky smooth, gorgeous legs are just a spray away!” but I have a hard time believing that this product wouldn’t look fake.

Ad #2: DiGiorno Pizza & Cookies

You know how much fat and calories are in a DiGiorno pizza?? Pairing it with buttery chocolate chip cookies is like inviting Americans to have a heart attack.

Ad #3: A Pill for Cellulite

Ironically, shortly after the DiGiorno pizza & cookies ad was an ad for a pill that would help relieve cellulite! How about no DiGiorno pizza & cookies?  Advertising is evil.

This all makes me long to read an Adbusters magazine.  They shine a strong light on our consumer culture:

Not that I don’t consume…