Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Tell the Truth Tuesday, Christmas Edition

Let's just launch right in, shall we? Yeah, who needs these introductory lines?

1. Once again, my blog posts aren't written in advance. This makes me queasy each night when I go to bed, because I haven't edited them to death. You've been warned.

2. The reason my blog posts aren't written is because I wasn't sure I was going to be blogging this week.

3. I decided to take next week off instead of this week, but I still didn't write any posts over the weekend.

4. I'm sure you're all fascinated by my blogging thought process.

5. Then blogger freaked out. Wouldn't open. Spun. And spun. And spun. Which prompted this tweet.


6. I learned how to use the program "Snipping Tool" on my computer to capture that shot for you. You're welcome.

7. I made two pans of ghetto toffee (delish), 35 homemade oreo cookies (2 cookies each, yo) and like, a million Oreo bon bons (dipping chocolates is sooo not my thing. It requires patience.) yesterday. I hope the neighbors are happy.

8. I found the perfect song for my WiP. "The Harold Song" by Ke$ha. Very angsty. Right up my alley.

9. It's my dad's birthday today. I guess I better get on the horn and sing.

10. My new favorite movie is "Despicable Me." Don't judge. ("It's so fluffy!")

11. You might be asking yourself how this is the Christmas Edition of Tell the Truth Tuesday. I know I am.

What's on your mind today? Tell me the truth now...

73 comments:

Brenda St John Brown said...

It's my Dad's birthday on the 23rd and I totally, totally, totally forgot. And I haven't finished my Christmas shopping. Or wrapped anything. But, I am making "Snappy Traps" with the boy (a type of booby trap, I think) and his shrieks of joy don't make me want to get on that any quicker. Except maybe my dad's birthday.

Tessa Quin said...

I'm making Ritz-treats today (1 cup peanut butter mixed with 1 cup icing sugar, spread it on a Ritz cracker and dip it into chocolate). It's delicious. Oh and I watched Despicable Me yesterday with my kids - I agree, it's adorable.

Theresa Milstein said...

When in doubt, make a list!

Happy birthday to your dad.

I sometimes have one or two posts ready to go, but often as I think of it. It would be nice to have your planning.

And if it makes you feel everybody, there are many fluff posts out there this week. I've seen countless Christmas trees and recipes for cookies. I don't celebrate Christmas and I'm a terrible baker, so it's a loss for me.

Unknown said...

If you'd gone with Twelve comments, it could have been along the lines of The Twelve Days of Christmas- or you could be like Santa and making a list!

Sounds like you've been busy- the cookies and candy sound great!

Happy birthday to your dad- and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Deni Krueger said...

My husband just made it to his new outpost safely. I'm breathing again.

And I made a pumpkin pie for the neighbors who have been helping me shovel snow every day for the last month:)

Merry Christmas!

Jessica Nelson said...

You're hilarious! :-) Those oreo thingys sound great...

Gail said...

I do not plan my blogs, I see a picture or have a thought then my fingers run away with themselves. Other than spelling, which sometimes, I do miss words...what first comes out is what you get.

Happy Birthday to your dad, and since we are covering holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and happy whatever holidays I missed during this time span.

Enjoy your break.

PK HREZO said...

Ha ha.. funny stuff! We just got Despicable Me and my kids are so infatuated with it. I think we've seen it 10 times already at least.. they adore the minions. My 4 year old asks me ever day, twice a day, "Can we watch Spittable Me??"

Bonnie R. Paulson said...

I will send you my address so you can mail me samples. We call that QC in our house. I eat a bite of everyone's dish, if I am the ONLY one who cooked/worked on it. Which, as the mom, I usually am. No wonder I have weight issues.
I'm stressing out about WIP and work, and kids, and the fact that my four year old son has more mood swings than a 14-year old girl. Want to throw a Midol at him. ugh

Merry Christmas! good luck on your year!

Anonymous said...

I so can't do the dipping-chocolate-thing, either. Been there, done that, so didn't work. But snaps to you for doing that for your neighbors. I'm like the world's worst neighbor. I never crawl out of my little hole and socialize, let alone make edible gifts for them.

Truths. . .
1. I loathe baking/cooking and my entire family (inlaws) will be here for Christmas, which means---I'm cooking/baking. *bites nails*
2. I so wasn't in the mood to decorate for this Christmas. Just got around to it last week.
3. I don't like white Christmas' anymore since I moved from the mid-west to the Arizona desert! Give me a cactus with lights on it any day!

Okay, that's all I can think of....Need. More. Caffeine. . . . Have a great day.

Laura Pauling said...

I'm surprised you didn't squeeze some bacon in those oreos. (Ew, gross)

Have a great holiday!

Slamdunk said...

Ha, I can relate to the uneasy sleep thinking about blog posts. I spend way too much time tinkering with my posts, and I have much respect for folks who can get it right the first couple of drafts.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

OMG! #7 is a post in itself.
This is so funny.

Kerri Cuev said...

Christmas shopping + sick kid at home from school= GRRRRRRRR!

Nicole L Rivera said...

Truth: I stole a gift from under the tree, and it was for someone else.

Okay, in my defense I love the movie Juno (that was the gift under the tree) and I won a way better gift at a White Elephant party. Since I didn't need the gift and it was something my BF would drool over I made a swap -- That DVD of Juno was the last one at the Wal-Mart I shop at. In the end, BF gets a better gift than a DVD of a movie he likes, instead he gets Nascar Monopoly (he's into Nascar). So, I'm not such a horrible person, am I?

Karen Baldwin said...

I have aliens in my ears:O NEVER underestimate the pain a kid goes through with an ear infection. I have great respect for toddlers and babies now.

Anonymous said...

LOVED reading this, lol. Thanks! Must check out shipping tool!

Matthew MacNish said...

I love how on a Mac you can take screenshots of only a section of your screen. I hate having to edit the screenshots myself on a Windows PC. Is that a truth? Yeah I suppose. Kind of lame, but it will have to do.

Andrea Coulter said...

LOL. Ke$ha and Taylor Swift are on my playlist for my new YA WIP :)

Anonymous said...

Ohmigod, "Despicable Me" is my current favorite too! I don't even mind if my kids want to watch it four times in a row. (And that's actually a low number). My husband is very like Gru when Things 1 & 2 ask him to read them stories. I wait for the day when a hated book will be "accidentally destroyed maliciously."

Melissa Sarno said...

haha! I love your truths. Why is blogger so evil?! Can I have some of your cookies? My truth is that I have the day off from work today so I have all the time in the world to write (which never happens) but someone is doing construction outside and now I believe this gives me a free pass to do anything but write because it's a clear 'distraction'. Impossible circumstances. Impossible I tell you. But it's fine for facebook, blogging, reading blogs and watching television. ;-)

Michael Di Gesu said...

Snowy, icy, foggy, COLD, day today. Christmas decorations are finally done. I don't want to leave my apt, but I have to buy one last thing to make my apt. complete.

I love winter, but hate the gray and cold.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS, ELANA.

Michael

Michael Di Gesu said...

Snowy, icy, foggy, COLD, day today. Christmas decorations are finally done. I don't want to leave my apt, but I have to buy one last thing to make my apt. complete.

I love winter, but hate the gray and cold.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS, ELANA.

Michael

Elena Solodow said...

The Harold Song is uber-addictive. Watch out!

Angela said...

Love how you took a picture of your tweet. Sometimes I want to punch my computer in the face too.

Merry Christmas, and I hope your dad has a good birthday.

Lola Sharp said...

I never write posts ahead. Which I suppose accounts for my haphazard blog schedule of late. Okay, of always.

I don't know how to do capture. I'm lame.

I really stopped by to wish you a very

MERRY Christmas!

Lola-->out.

Alicia Gregoire said...

Despicable me was a cute movie. That line you quoted is my favorite.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I "get" how this is your Christmas edition. Really. Ok really--not. But I was following your every word and understanding it. This scares me a little, but I just tell myself great minds understand each other. :)

Merry Christmas. Here's hoping your holiday celebration is wonderful...full of joy. Have a great break next week.

Teresa

VR Barkowski said...

On my mind? UPS deliveries and getting some frigginly huge prezzies wrapped before Mr. VR gets home from a day at the office. It may be a photo finish.

Happy birthday to dad, and Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[Got any of those Oreo thingy's left?]

Melissa Gill said...

I officially have no mind today. I'm still trying to finish making my Christmas gifts and have to wrap presents at Borders tonight until 10:00.

I haven't seen Despicable Me, but my neice asked me to get it for her for X-mas, so I'll see it then.

Carol Kilgore said...

I baked for the neighbors last year. This year I made Cookies in a Jar. Let them do their own baking :)

Happy Birthday to your dad.

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Michelle Merrill said...

I totally love the snipping tool and for the record one of my new favorite movies is Tangled. Judge if you want. I have daughters :) I'm sure your neighbors are thrilled with the yummy treats and if they don't yet know how famous you are, when they do they'll start preserving your treats just to have a piece of Elana Awesomeness :)

Southpaw said...

I'd surely be happy if you were my neighbor!

Ishta Mercurio said...

Your baking sounds yummy! I wish I were your neighbor.

My kids have been taking turns being sick and getting me sick for the last two weeks. My house is a mess, because my days are spent caring for snotty feverish whiny miserable children. My home-reno is stalled, because I've spent the last 6 nights either in the ER or in one of my kids' bedrooms stroking their hair and trying to soothe them back to sleep.

Christmas is in 4 days, so I need to do some serious present-wrapping and (if I can get away from the Plague House) shopping for my hubby.

My Mother-In-Law is coming this evening, and my Brother-In-Law will arrive on Thursday with my nieces. Which could be bad, since we're all sick and my house is a mess. It is what it is; they'll understand, or they'll go stay in a hotel.

I love M. T. Anderson's work. His books are what I wish my books could be.

I need to go vacuum and clean now.

Have a good Christmas!

Nicole Zoltack said...

Happy Birthday to your dad!

I still haven't seen Despicable Me yet, but I want to.

I will get the wrapping done today, I Swear! Or at least will try really hard too.

Unknown said...

Bahaha!!!

I love Christmas Edition Truth Tuesday... Harold (for hark the harold angels sing)... baking cookies (total holiday tradition)... SEE THERE IS CHRISTMAS... sort of.

I loved Despicable Me, it was adorable and oh.so.fun!!!

Enjoy snipping while eating oreo bon bons while I sit here jealous.

Oh.My.Word!!!!! I just looked to the side of my comment and saw your countdown widget!!! Eek!!! I'm so excited and so adding this to my sidebar!

Unknown said...

My truth: I think I write too much in comments... or is there such thing as too much?

Maybe I don't want to know.

Tracey Neithercott said...

Happy birthday to your dad! Today is my husband's birthday. Poor ol' four-days-before-Christmas folks.

Truth: I finally started a writing blog but the prospect of speaking to no one is nerve wracking.

storyqueen said...

Dude, I want the recipe for ghetto toffee.

Now.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday to your dad! I think it's an excellent Christmas edition of Tell the Truth. You mentioned that you gave stuff for the neighbors and that's a TON of work. Isn't that enough? ;)

Bast said...

Love "The Harold Song." After reading your blog earlier today (I wasn't able to comment then so I came back), I immediately listened to it. Love Ke$ha. Her song "Cannibal" is the song for my current WIP.

Caroline Starr Rose said...

Send recipes. Now. :)

Lenny Lee said...

hi miss elana! wowee you got me hungry with all that sweety stuff. whats ghetto toffee? for sure i could wanna be your neighbor!:) happy birthday to your dad! for my truth i got my next bone marrow test done. ack! now im wrapped up in a new blanket i got for a before christmas present and im going at blogs and im reading a book and im gonna have some hot chocolate.
...happy hugs from lenny

RaShelle Workman said...

Ghetto toffee? I'm dying to know how you make it, even though I still refuse to share my toffee recipe. That's a sad truth. But, really, if you think about it, it's totally cool because you're writing has peaked my interest in this toffee.

As for Despicable Me - I can't get the little girl making that noise with her mouth and her hands out of my head. And, I've been doing it to my kids for days. Payback, baby!

Angie said...

You are a treat making machine! I loved Despicable Me. (We're getting it for Christmas.) Happy Birthday to your dad!

Regina said...

You have been busy. Yes, take next week off. Great movie, great song by Ke$hat too. You'll need to post your recipe for Ghetto toffee you have everyones mouth watering now. hehehe

I am just hoping to find a little focus this holiday season. I have been scattered to the four corners and have yet to recover. Love your post. Always inspirational. Glad your having fun with blogger. Best wishes and happy holidays!

Shannon Messenger said...

LOL. Love it. You crack me up. Also I LOVE Despicable Me. WIN! :)

Natalie Aguirre said...

I'm not baking at all. Too much other cooking to do with family visiting. I'm just looking forward to being off work after noon on Thursday until after the first of the year.

Heather said...

Happy birthday to your dad! I can hardly wait to see Despicable Me. It looks hilarious. You can probably imagine what's on my mind today. Will she like it? Will she want a full? Will I hear from her before the new year? Yep, it's total chaos inside my mind today. But it's a good chaos. ;)

Luna said...

Happy Birthday to your dad!

Um...you are a baking goddess. Those all sound amazing! I wish I was your neighbor...:)

Great list! I think the baking part and the fact that this week is Christmas (freaking out!) makes it a Christmas edition.

It's always nice to read that you are normal like the rest of us.

Happy Holidays!:)

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Mmmmm...those treats sound way too yummy! I have to make peppermint bark and three different kinds of fudge this week. :-)

Liza said...

Home made Oreos? Your ranking on my People I am Most Empressed by" list just went up 10 points. No, 20. Home made Oreos? Make it 100.

Kelly Lyman said...

LOL. I like your posts no matter if you write them in advance or not. Oh and you can send me some of those treats!

Krispy said...

What makes the toffee ghetto? Also, I want some! <3 toffee.

Also, Despicable Me is a great movie! And did you know that kitten book he reads to the girls IS REAL?!??!

Golden Eagle said...

It took me a while to learn about that darned Snipping Tool. I had always wondered how people got parts of their screen into pictures . . .

Love this Truthful Tuesday post!

Karen Lange said...

Truth Tuesday? I want a nap. I just may take one...:)

Roland D. Yeomans said...

You sound so rushed. Take a moment just to be. Breathe in the magic of Christmas, tapping into the awe and wonder you had towards it as a child.

Your blogging friends are just that ... friends. We understand life sometimes hurls three days' worth of "things to do" at you all at once.

Give yourself the Christmas gift of just ten minutes to sit and take in the sight of your Christmas tree and the memories of your best Christmases (is that even a word?)

Have a healing Christmas, Roland

Jackee said...

On my mind? How bad I've been at blogging! You are a great example to me, though. You do it even when you're tired and getting other things done. :o) WTG, Elana!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

It's the Christmas editon because it's so close to Christmas? I'd run with that answer.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I like Despicable Me...
I pre-schedule posts because my brain shuts down around 9pm and refuses to function again until twelve hours later. God only knows what gibberish I'd create at 5:30 in the morning!

Lydia Kang said...

I haven't seen Despicable me but I love that little girl, especially when she makes that annoying noise with her cheeks...

Marsha Sigman said...

I go on vacation after today and no one is actually working right now. We are all surfing the net or staring blankly into space waiting for 5:00.

All I want for Christmas is a nap.
I wonder if I painted eyes on my eyelids anyone would notice I was asleep?

IanBontems said...

You want the truth? Well, at the moment I'm wondering what to do tonight: assignments or writing my wip.
Tricky one, but writing wins. Hurrah!

Oh, and I don't ever plan my blog posts in advance (as is no doubt evident to anyone who has ever visited my site). Winging it can be fun - sometimes.

Re: 10. I so wanted to see Despicable Me, but I missed it (I'm going to have to get the DVD when it's out now).

However, I am planning to see Megamind tomorrow with nearest and dearest. That's gotta count for something, yeah?

Mel Chesley said...

Whoa, I HAVE been gone a long time!!! First, congrats on the book publishing and second, nice blog layout!
I don't ever judge you... ;) Merry Christmas and avoid chocolate dipping. :D

Kelly Polark said...

I loved Despicable Me and even shed a tear while watching it.

My truth: I've had McDonald's three times in the last five days.

Merry Christmas, Elana!

Jeff King said...

I wonder if I’ll ever be able to do my story justice. I hope to raise my kid’s right. I dream of a better tomorrow. I strive to be the best husband, friend, worker, writer, and all around good person that I can be.

Positivity is a state of mind, and is achieved by proper action.

Thx for the post.

Jemi Fraser said...

Happy birthday to your dad! :)

My truth - I'm so tired and overwhelmed I'm not quite sure what my name is anymore! :)

Suzie F. said...

Happy Birthday Elana's Dad!

Truth: I should be finishing my Christmas cards right now instead of visiting blogs :P

Bethany Wiggins said...

As ever... my fav blogger. I love #6.

Misha Gerrick said...

I LOVE Despicable Me. It's adorable.

;-)

Melanie Hooyenga said...

I really like this post. I'm so glad I'm not the only one with rambling thoughts. :)

Carol Riggs said...

Lovely pantser blog post there, Elana. Oh YEAH!--I loved Despicable Me too! and not ashamed of it.

What's on my mind? The goodness of the gluten-free chocolate cake I finished for dessert tonight (thank you, Betty Crocker, for making gluten-free mixes!). The joys of a Christmas blogfest I participated in on Monday and making new writerbuddy contacts. Designing a header for my brother's new tech service...and, longing to work on my WIP. ;o)

Sophia Chang said...

omg Despicable Me was so good - not fluffy at all! lol It had the immigrant parent issues DOWN...at least us Asians thought so lol.

We related to the distant mother/father who didn't support our endeavors and only wanted their brand of perfection, only to finally find our ways back to our hearts in caring for others/youngin's.

Yeah...that's why THIS yellow cries

:P

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