Dear Old Aunt Flo

Since it's still the holiday season, my dear old Aunt Flo is in town. Aunt Flo is NOT my favorite Aunt. She's not even my "Auntie". She's more like "Ant" Flo, (as in a small creature that walks the earth kind of ant). Oh yeah, and she's a real pain in the a**.

Things that always happen when Aunt Flo is visiting:

1. I get kinda bitchy.


2. Gotta have chocolate!


3. My lower back hurts.


4. Aunt Flo always knows just how to make me feel like sh*t.

Tonight it's New Years Eve and we are going to a friends house to celebrate. Of course I have to bring Aunt Flo with me. I have no choice. Aunt Flo is family. Come to think of it, she's not that bad, really. She's predictable as hell and sometimes when she comes for a visit, you thank the good Lord above. It's almost like she is a part of me, a part of the sisterhood. Looks like I'm ringing in 2009 with her so it's possible she could enlighten me with her wisdom on this eve of the new year. Or, her behavior could turn me into a hormonal wreck. It's still a toss up, you never quite know when it comes to Aunt Flo.

Big Zel

It's always a good day when you open your morning paper and find that one of your favorite people in the world has gotten some good ink. Now, I'm not talking about some ridiculous celebrity or the people who worship them (although he is certainly a celebrity in every sense of the word) I'm talking about someone who has made a real difference in the world and influenced your own life greatly.

Today, for me, that person would be Big Zel.

Robert Zelnick, (or Big Zel as he dubbed himself) was a TV news legend far before I ever walked into his classroom at Boston University that fall of 2000. ABC News' go-to-guy at the Pentagon for some 20 years, is how I remembered him, and I was a little more than worried as a "green" graduate student taking his "hard news" class. Prof. Zelnick, who stands at 5'6" tall, was an intimidating figure back in those days, standing at the head of the classroom. He had a stoic seriousness about him and "curmudgeonly" was the adjective we used to describe his occasional no nonsense teachings. But it didn't take long for us to figure out how wrong we were about Big Zel. Lucky for us, we quickly realized that we were in for the ride of our lives.

Beside his impressive ABC News resume, (his time spent there ranks right him alongside all the news greats: Walters, Jennings, to name a few of his colleagues) Big Zel spent many years traveling the globe and working on the political news of the world. A true "hard news" man, his infectious passion was undeniable for his chosen genre. We were the chosen ones to have learned first hand, from a legend, what it means to deliver a news story. But that fall of 2000, Big Zel's journalism students would also fast become "hard news" men and women in their own right, for we suddenly found ourselves in the midst of one of the biggest news stories of the 21 century. The botched Presidential Election of 2000.

I spent many sleepless nights (I was also the mother of a four and five year old) reporting for his class from the debates, to the botched announcement of Gore's presidential win, to the intense scrutiny of the announcement of the Bush presidency and the hanging chad. As writers, we all grew up a lot that fall under the loving wing of the great Professor Bob Zelnick.

Big Zel and I discussed those memories at our Sushi lunch last fall. Ever gracious and humble, my favorite professor and I broke bread and sake, and discussed the possibility of my publishing a memoir. I tried to convince him it was he who should be writing a memoir and he humbly dismissed the notion as rubbish. He would stick to writing about the news as he had for his entire career.

Big Zel is in the spotlight today for his role in the historic interviews between David Frost and disgraced President Richard Nixon. Bob Zelnick has been immortalized in Ron Howard's big screen adaptation of the Broadway show, "Frost/Nixon". His experience, he recalled in today's Boston Herald as, "historic from two points of view. One, it was unprecedented. And two, it worked. in terms of stirring a popular interest and delivering a good editorial product."

Oliver Platt plays Bob Zelnick in the movie and at 6'5" tall, when he met the actor, true to form Big Zel had some witty comments about overcoming the physical challenge. You can read all about my beloved Professor at this link: I urge you to go and see the movie and let me know what you think.

I've got to go right now and send an email to my favorite reluctant celebrity to tell him how proud I am to call him my friend. He seems to be handling it all in Big Zel stride. He humbly said of his involvement in the great news story portrayed by the film in today's Herald, "It's a form of immortality, (but) I think the most important thing is to not let anything change you. Richard Nixon himself in the interview said the brightest moments are those that fade away fastest and I think that's something to keep in mind."

That's what I love most about Big Zel. He never lets a teaching moment get lost in his bright spotlight.

Holiday Hangover

I'm feeling a bit like I have been on a month long bender. I have that all too telling "green" feeling and I can't seem to shake it. Now that Christmas is over, I want to start thinking about getting back to "normal". But how can I???

Consider this my post Christmas rant:

-The Christmas decorations are still up. Around 6am on Dec 26th I start thinking about getting rid of everything but I cannot..My kids would never forgive me. I have to wait, at least, until New Years day. I am SOOOO over it!

-All the gifts are out of the boxes and the gift wrap and mess are gone but no one else has touched any of their stuff to move it out of the living room. Uh, hello?? I am not the MAID here. Must I do everything?? Every human in this house is old enough to come and collect their Christmas haul and bring it to their respective rooms now that I have made it easier by taking everything out of the boxes and putting it into neat piles. What's next? Must I wear it for them too?? The only thing I didn't do with their stuff was open the gift for them. Maybe I should try that next year.

-I am not cooking for another three months. I figure, after cooking X amount of elaborate holiday meals, I should be all set until St. Patty's right? (oh yeah-and no one in this house eats leftovers. It's like tainted food to them. Go figure)

-The kids are on vacation. For a really long time. Like too long. If we had thought about it before the holiday, we would be on the ninth hole in Naples, Fla. right about now. For sure.

-NO, I will not get up at 4:30am any longer for my son's 6am Christmas hockey tournament. Are these people insane??? They say they do it so that the working parents can get to the game and then get to work on time. I'll voluteer to pick all the boys up (it would be a tight squeeze) if it means being able to sleep for an hour or two more in the morning. AND-they won this morning! Yipee! which means that we are looking at an ungodly early New Years Day Game! Might as well pull an all nighter on New Years Eve!!

-Luckily we had very few returns this year, but the kids got gift cards which they insisted on using the day after Christmas. I agreed, not really thinking it through. The malls were far worse that day then before Christmas. My bad. On a positive note, the sales at the stores are phenomenal. They are practically giving stuff away with 60, 75 and 80% off sales everywhere. I plan to take advantage of that at some point this week.

-And before you think this is about all bad and no good...I have to say that Frick and Frack have been absolutely wonderful so far! (I hope I don't jinx it) I am astounded by the way that they have been behaving, mostly toward each other, and I couldn't have asked for a better gift from them. If this is a look into the future, I happily say, bring it on! I am a proud mom today!

-And last, I am thankful for one more week of fun with my family and friends but I feel like I am stuck in the middle of some sort of strange holding pattern, unable to break free just yet. True to the time of year-we are on the verge of a transition and it hangs thick in the air. Just like a hangover.

See Buddy: A Christmas Tail

SEE BUDDY

BUDDY IS A FOOD-LOVING WHITE BOXER WHO ALSO LOVES CHRISTMAS.

BUDDY IS GETTING READY FOR SANTA TO COME BUT THERE IS A SMALL PROBLEM.

BUDDY HAS BEEN NAUGHTY.... OH, WHAT'S A DOG TO DO?



YOU SEE, BUDDY ATE ALL THE CHRISTMAS BROWNIES AND NOW THERE ARE NO MORE TO LEAVE OUT FOR SANTA WHEN HE COMES TONIGHT.

BUDDY TOLD HIS PACK HE WAS AFRAID HE WOULD GET COAL IN HIS STOCKING FROM SANTA. THEY PRETTY MUCH AGREED THAT HE WAS SCREWED BUT GOOD, AND BUDDY THANKED THEM FOR THEIR MORAL SUPPORT.

THEN BUDDY DECIDED TO PUT ON A BRAVE FACE AND HAVE A HEART TO HEART WITH THE MAN IN RED. THEY TALKED FOR A WHILE AND BUDDY WAS ELATED WHEN SANTA TOLD HIM THAT ALL OF GODS CREATURES, BOTH GOOD AND BAD, ON CHRISTMAS MUST REMEMBER TO KEEP PEACE AND SHOW GOOD WILL TOWARDS EACH OTHER. SANTA SAID THAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT.

BUDDY FELT MUCH BETTER AND HE REALIZED THAT CHRISTMAS WAS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST BROWNIES AND BONES.

BUDDY WAS SO HAPPY THAT HE DECLARED, I MEAN BARKED, "MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT"!!!!!!

HAPPIEST OF HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS FROM CANDY'S DAILY DANDY!

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Just IN CASE you were wondering what you were going to get me this year for Christmas, I have put together a little list to help you purchase that special something just for me!

1. World Peace. Yeahh. Wouldn't that be nice.

2. Diamonds. What was that old saying about them being a girl's best friend? I am certainly no exception. What's a little frosting between friends?

3. Cold hard. No, not what you were thinking. Get your mind out of the gutter. Sheesh! Nothing says I love you like a stack of Benjamin's!

4. Another Boston World Championship. Pats, Bruins, Celts...I'm not picky. Just greedy. heehee.

5. This would be the best of all! And if you could see to it, I would love you FOR-EVA!!! No biggie...Just a big bow STRATEGICALLY placed and tucked nicely in my be...I mean under my tree.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Living In A Winter Wonderland

Remember last week when I said it was snowing in MA finally! Well, it is true that you need to be careful what you wish for because you just may get it. It stared snowing on Friday afternoon and didn't stop until Sunday night! Inspired by Alan at Robot Nine, (Check out his blog. He's always got something amazing going on) I thought I'd show you what it's like to wake up in MA today.

Thanks for the inspiration Alan!

Mi Blog Es Su Blog.

Welcome everyone to The Daily Dandy's Blogger Holiday Party!

Come on in, take off your shoes, have a drink (or two, or three, or...) and stay a while. Let's kick the Blogger holiday off right and party all weekend or at least until the cow's come home. (Jennifer and Sandi, do they ever actually leave home?)

Chat up your favorite blogger, or feel up your favorite blogger (Gwen and Zibsy, get a room! Hey!) Have some of the fabulous hors d'oeuvre's and please pour yourself a glass of holiday spirits. Let's celebrate the season Blogger style!

I put Scope in charge of the music (he had some beauties on his ipod) and WhiskeyMarie has catered a table full of fantastic, yummy holiday nosh! So let's get down and boogie while happily filling our tummies. But before we break bread, let's bow our heads in prayer as our blogger savior, McGone, leads us in the Christmas blessing and we give thanks for all our blogger good fortune throught the year.

The great thing about this virtual party is that it will be going on all weekend long! That's right, 24 hours a day my door is open for you to come and spread your holiday cheer with your fellow bloggers. Stop bye for as long as you like, hang out, then leave and come back later to see what the crazy kids are up to over here. EVERYONE in the bloggersphere is invited! Bring a blogger friend if you want and if you are here for the first time, welcome! and drop us a comment to introduce yourself. We are a pretty social bunch, I promise!

But don't get too drunk because at some point Poobomber is going give us a slide show of his most famous photoshop stuff, and stick around because Mjenks has agreed to the traditional reading of "The Night Before Christmas". You won't want to miss a second of the fun!

It's my way of saying thank you for reading my words and sharing in my blogger world every day! I love you guys!

If the food, music, and great conversation aren't enough for you, Miss Lydia will be doing tarot card readings to delight you and Falwless will be doing blogger caricatures with her Facebook Graffiti tool as your take home keepsake.

Consider the comment section of this post a virtual party chat room! But don't look for Jon, Mike or myself around 1pm Sunday. We'll be watching the Pat's game and be coming back after we WIN!!

And the lovely MeLO will be walking around holding the party mistletoe over some lucky bloggers heads!

So, from my house to yours, Welcome! and have a joyous holiday celebration!