Dear Santa

I know you won't be stopping by the Homburg household tonight and I'm totally okay with that. I don't need anything under the tree this year. I've waited years for my very special gift, so I'm happy to wait six more months.

Just remember, this time next year there will be one more stocking on our mantle.

Mission Accomplished

Nothing was set on fire, the cookies are all edible, and my kitchen may permanently smell of peppermint.

I think that makes Bake-a-palooza 2008 a rousing success!


I am so thankful for these girls and their friendship. Here's to many more adventures in 2009. I know it's going to be a big year for all of us!

Counting Down

Just about a year ago, December 15th to be exact, Barb and I started an annual tradition. We called it Bake-a-palooza, and it involved eight hours of non stop baking, candy making, and general holiday fun.



Tomorrow, that tradition continues, but this time with the addition of two more of my favorite people. Em and Josie are coming up from Chicago to hang at Chez Homburg. It's been way too long since we've all been together...August to be exact when we gathered in Milwaukee for Josie's birthday.

This time around we've got quite a list of things to do ahead of us. In addition to getting a better photo of all four of us, we've got new recipes to try, old favorites to repeat, and at least one cookie we'll pass on this year after the great flop of 07

(RIP Spritz cookies. We will not make you again. )

More on this year's adventures on Sunday!

SEC Forever

I live in Wisconsin, where it sometimes snows in October, and asking for sweet tea is met with a blank stare. I don't have a Sonic, or a Chick-fil-a, and I cannot buy my groceries at Publix (where shopping is a pleasure).

But no matter how long I live "up north," I will forever be an SEC girl. Nobody does college football like the schools of the South Eastern Conference. (Sorry, Em. I'm sure you disagree). There's just something about the history, the rivalries, the school pride.

As I sit here watching the SEC championship game, cheering on my Florida Gators, I can't help but think back to my Gainesville days. I remember moving into my first apartment in Gainesville on a 100 degree day in June. I remember getting drenched while walking across campus in a summer storm. I remember the first time I walked into The Swamp (the stadium, not to be confused with the bar across the street that bears the same name). I remember wearing sweatshirts and peacoats when the weather turned colder (back when cold was 50 and freezing was 40!). I remember packing my life into a Uhaul just a few days after graduation to begin my life as a tv news producer in Knoxville, TN.

I've never lived among Florida fans since I left Gainesville in May of 2001. I spent my 3 years in Knoxville trash talking with all of my Rocky Top friends. Then I moved to the U.P. of Michigan where they were obsessed with this sport called Hockey. And now I live in Northeast Wisconsin where the majority bleeds green and gold. But I still cheer, watching every Florida football and basketball game I can up here. Karl looks at me funny when I scream at the tv and he laughs when I dance around after a touchdown. He tries to support the Gators, but it's just not the same.

My life as a solo Gator fan ends in 6 months. Monkey has no choice. He will be raised a Gator fan from day one. He will learn to respect the SEC. And someday, I hope he makes his home in Gainesville. Hey, maybe he'll want to play football. :)

Thankful

All the heartbreak, all the needles, all the crazy hormones and related nervous breakdowns, all the early morning doctors appointments, all the bills for treatments insurance doesn't cover.

Every last moment is worth it today, when I finally get to share with the world that Karl and I will welcome our first baby in June.

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

For more on our little monkey, you can visit his/her blog: http://babyhomburg.blogspot.com

Random

Poor poor neglected blog. I've been doing the doggy paddle to survive these days and so this blog has taken a back seat to important things like sleep and work. Unfortunately for me, and those around me, the sleep has happened a lot less than the work. Oh well.

So, since I don't have time to write much...here are a few random tidbits to take up space until I can devote time to a real entry.

• It took almost four years, but Walker has finally discovered the joy of the dog bed. I am not afraid to say it took Karl laying on said dog bed to get Walker to understand that it would be more comfortable than laying on the floor.
  
• Said dog bed is currently in use because we've banned Walker from the new couch. There are few things in the world that make me feel more guilt than Walker's sad eyes.
  
• Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year to watch the food network. Such yummy ideas. Like the mashed potato recipe I caught from Tyler Florence the other night. The taters are boiled in milk and cream instead of water. That sounds excessive right? Excessively YUMMO!
• My husband is a rockstar. A home improvement rockstar. Thanks to his handywork, my inlaws will be the first to sleep in our brand new guestroom. Thankfully they're not staying long, because as of right now the only thing in the room is a bed. But at least it has flooring, and electricity, and a door. Baby steps.
• I am also a rockstar....of the photo editing variety. It is my plan to be completely done with all of our outstanding sessions by the end of this week. And then, with the exception of card orders and print orders, I will do nothing business related until New Years Eve when we'll ring in the new year with a wedding.
  

That's all I've got. Well there's more. But it can wait :)

Um, what?

• I arrived at the polls at 6:45 this morning. The line was already around the building. I was ballot number 157.
• I went to Walmart to pick up pop. I was greeted by a giant Christmas tree and the sound of Frosty the Snowman
• I received an email this morning that the Starbucks Red Cups are out again.
• It's going to be 70 degrees today. Last week it was snowing.

What a weird day. Also to be filed under weird: I'm going to "unretire" for a few hours tonight and head back to work at the tv station. I will be paid in pizza. For a news junkie, which I am even though I don't work in the industry anymore, nothing is bigger than election night. It's so much work. It's touch and go, all night long, never knowing what's happening and where we're going next. I've never jumped out of an airplane before, but I think the rush might be similar.

I'm walking into a tornado tonight, and I'm looking forward to it. What a weird day.

Oh, and P.S.: Please vote. Please don't be deterred by long lines. Chances are you've waited in line for things that are far less important before. I know I've spent more time waiting to ride Space Mountain than I did waiting to cast my ballot. The wait will be worth it.