CARRICK CORNER

Home of the Carrick Family Website

Sunday, November 01, 2009

We're home! Wow - that was one whirlwind of a trip!
When the driver came to get Sydney to take her to school he told us that the highway from Nanjing to Shanghai was closed due to heavy fog along the way. So, he got us some train tickets, we abandoned two suitcases, and got to Shanghai so we could make our flight to Dallas. We couldn't get a first class (referred to as a "soft-seat") ticket, so ended up in second class, along with the masses. We sat on the same row as a guy who decided to have pickled eggs and chicken feet for lunch. Uuugh! He gnawed on the feet, slurped over them, and then spat out what I can only imagine were the bones and claws! Ick! Another guy on the opposite aisle spilt his bottle of green tea - the whole thing - which subsequently flowed down the entire carriage, under the seats, soaking everyone's handbags and luggage! Not that they knew because he didn't say anything, just sat there!

The flight to Chicago was full, including business class so we were unable to get upgrades. Most of the passengers were Chinese nationals and I'm sure most of them had never flown before. The plane was ready for take-off and there was one Chinese lady who kept on getting out of her seat to visit her friend a few aisles back, nearer where we were sitting. The flight attendants had asked her to stay put, and the pilot had even asked for everyone to remain seated. Nope, she thought it would be appropriate to go visiting again as we're taxi-ing to the runway. The flight attendant was there in a flash and shoted at her to sit down, which she prompty did - ON THE FLOOR! No sooner had they gotten her bucked into her seat, there goes another guy, off to the loo! Geez! All we just wanted to get in the air!

We had supper over Japan! Rory was trying to butter his cheese cracker with the rock-hard butter they give you when the cracker broke off and flew in the air and landed in the aisle. I cracked up laughing and just couldn't stop. It was so silly but I giggled about it for ages. Somewhere near us someone kept on shouting out in their sleep, waking us up. It was very frustrating, but not as annoying as the lady in front of us who had ants in her pants and was up every two minutes! It was a looooong flight and we still had to connect through Chicago to Dallas. I checked the TV monitor and was very dejected when I read that we were only 6 hours into a 13-hour flight. I get really bad headaches when using ear-phones so I don't watch movies on the plane, but I passed the time with about a hundred or so games of Solitaire! We had to clear customs in Chicago which made our connection very tight but we made it with only minutes to spare. When we arrived at DFW it was nighttime and we weren't sure how we would notice Sharrie's SUV in the drive-through lane. No problem…as we walked out the door Sharrie drove by. I knew it was her when I read "Quilt Show or Bust" on the side window!

Although we were exhausted, with the time change, we we're wide awake at 3am. There was only one thing to do - hit Wal-mart - open 24-hours! We got most of our "boring" shopping done which left only the fun stuff to shop for with my friends.

Rory had some running around to do so I spent the day with Sharrie and Randi-Sue, starting out catching up over our customary morning coffee. Later in the day I had a much-needed hair appointment. I managed, barely, to stay awake. Now I know most people don't like their passport pictures, but I happen to like mine. But, when passing through customs in China and Chicago, both customs officers had to double check my picture, asking if it was in fact me! So, I figured a drastic change was needed. I took my passport to the salon and told her "I wasn't to look like this again"! Bare in mind, my passport is almost 10 years old! She hacked off about 4 inches!
On Wednesday Sharrie and I went to Grapevine Mills to shop for a formal dress for the NIC Winter Ball. I tried on about a dozen dresses in various styles and colors. Sharrie helped out a lot, choosing dresses that I might not have chosen, zipping me in and out of them, and offering her much appreciated opinion! In the end it came down to two dresses but we went for the more modern style, ditching the traditional one. Next, I had to find an outfit for the Hopeful Hearts "Day at the Races". Sharrie and I both bought the same dress!
Wednesday evening we met up with some of the bunco ladies, Marilyn, Anne, Christy, and Tamara for supper at Abuelo's. Hmmmm, yummy Mexican food! We got there jus before happy hour ended so we stacked up some orders of margaritas! It was a very nice evening and it was fun to be with friends again.

On Thursday, Randi-Sue, Sharrie, Christy and I went to Silver City and the bead store along Harry Hines to get some silver findings. I think we all came away spending a lot more than we intended to!
That evening we finished our shopping, packed our suitcases, including the new one I had to buy, and Sharrie dropped us off at the hotel after we returned our cars to the house. We had to be at the airport by 4:30am, which really wasn't a problem since we were still waking up at 3:30am anyway!

Our flight home was as arduous, if not more so, than the trip to Dallas. The flight was at least an hour longer, and we had to drive back to Nanjing for 5 hours. Andrea was having a Halloween party so we dropped our suitcases off, freshened up a little, and went partying! We didn't stay too long - just long enough to see everyone's costumes and have a nibble to eat. It was raining so most people looked a little bedraggled by the time they had walked to Andrea's house, but there were some awesome constumes - a very furry (and hot) lion, Wonder Woman, Dorothy, Pocahontas, a gladiator, a prisoner, a few hippies, pirates, skeletons and witches. With kids, there were probably close on a hundred people there by the time we left! When we got back to home the kids were eager to see what we'd bought for them so we ended up rummaging through suitcases before we just couldn't stay awake any longer and plopped into bed at about 9:30. Maxine still wanted to party with her friends at Andrea's so we just left the door unlocked and told her to be home at 11pm! I'm assuming she did come home on time because I out for the count and didn't hear a thing till I woke up at 4am this morning. I couldn't get back to sleep so came downstairs and unpacked all the suitcases, sorted the laundry, sorted the fabric and beads I'd bought in Dallas, started a loaf of bread in the bread machine and made a necklace and earrings to go with my "day at the races" outfit for Tuesday!

Sydney made pancakes for breakfast and some sugar cookies for lunch! She just couldn't wait to use those sprinkles I'd bought!

Both Maxine and Sydney had wonderful trips and Maxine tooks some great photographs which I'll be posting over the next few days.

With last nights rain our paper pumpkin ornaments hanging in the trees are now looking very sad, just hanging there like huge deflated balloons! Kind of what I'm feeling like now! Ready for a nap!

Monday, November 02, 2009

Brrrrr! Winter has arrived in Nanjing. It doesn't help that we have no heat in the house. There's a switch on the thermostat that says "heat" but, after being on for 10 minutes - still no heat. Oh well, luckily I bought some warmer clothes last week in Dallas. I usually don't feel the cold that much, but geez, I'm freezing! And it's only the first cold day!

I love my new hair-do, and it seems most other people do too, unless they're just being polite, but I prefer to think otherwise! Rory's told me about a dozen times how much he likes it - I must have either looked really bad beforehand, or he's after something! Hmmm, maybe both. Sydney and Maxine told me it makes me look a lot younger, and the passport control officer didn't complain that I don't look like my picture. So, I'm voting my hairdresser "the best in the world" - really! She's awesome! She can perform miracles!

Although my hat for tomorrow is a mauvy-purple color, the black and cream dress I bought seems to work okay with it. I made a necklace of purple crystals with black beads, and in the bracelet I added some creamy pearls. It actually looks really nice and will hopefully help pull the outfit together somewhat. At this point I'm more worried about staying warm in my sleeveless dress.

I got a bunch of my jewelry projects finished yesterday. Most only needed clasps so it went pretty quick. Later in the evening I sorted all my new beads into containers, removing them from the strings and feeding them into the containers. Rory seems to think I enjoy that more than the actual jewelry making! Not so - I think more beads landed on the floor than in the containers Luckily we have a rug in the living room so the beads didn't go bouncing across the wooden floors never to be seen again. It's my Ayi's birthday on Friday and she's always stopping to talk to me about what I'm beading. I think I'll make her a pretty bracelet and give her the day off. No-one needs to be washing floors on their birthday, let alone someone else's floors!

I'm so sad. My friend, Andrea, and her family are going to be moving sooner than expected, in December instead of June. Her husband has been promoted. She was hoping that they would let her and the kids stay to finish out the school year because her kids are in high school, but Celanese has told them they all have to go now. Her husbands' boss doesn't have kids so he has no concept of how traumatic and disruptive it will be to move during the middle of the school year. Either that or he's just being a jerk!

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

It's almost at freezing point this morning and we still have no heat. It's the Hopeful Hearts Race Day today. I tried my sleeveless dress on this morning and froze! So I ditched that, very quickly. Will save it for another spring-like day! I tried on a black and cream patterned jersey with black pants - looked fat; tried on cream jersey with black pants - still looked fat; tried on patterned jersey with long black skirt - still look fat but at least I'm warm and comfortable in my undeniable fatness! Nothing that a huge black leather coat can't hide - uuugh!

It's so darned cold in this house -and I think I know why. The walls are all masonry - not wood & sheetrock construction like in the USA. Everything feels cold and is cold - waaaah - I think I'll be a popsicle by the end of winter! I know I'm being a big cry-baby but I usually never feel the cold! I can usually get through the whole of winter without even wearing a jacket! Bring on the hot chocolate!

Later……there were some very brave souls at the race day with short sleeve summer dresses on, but I think there were more that were dressed warmly! It was a lovely luncheon with lots of very interesting hats. Lots of black feathers about which I think were remnants from Halloween! I know there were HUNDREDS of pictures taken so I'm sure I'll have plenty to put on the website within the next few days. Sadly, my horse didn't win. Didn't come last either so I couldn't claim the loser's prize! The "loser" prizes were all the flower centerpieces off the tables. My neighbor, Jenny, and I were determined to go home with something, so we nabbed the roses off the buffet tables! They would have been thrown away anyway!!!
A few really beautiful paintings were auctioned off, and I really regret not bidding on the one. It was really beautiful with lots of soft blue-greens. I think it went for 3000rmb, which is about $450 - no that bad for a huge original watercolor, signed by the artist, who was at the luncheon! Aaaargh - sometimes I just get so mad with myself!
As I expected, Najjla wore her loooong mink coat. I thought we were going to have to separate her and Lori who is a devout vegetarian and wouldn't even bet on the horse race! Never mind that we were raising money for operations for babies and children with heart defects - let's save the horses and minks instead!!!

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

We went shopping this morning and got Wang Yi a beautiful blue winter coat, a matching hat, and chocolate brown gloves and scarf. She's looks darling in it! She was so excited when we gave it to her. We got hugs, and hugs, and more hugs! I know that there would be no way she would ever buy anything like that for herself. If she had it, she'd spend the money on her son before she spent it on herself, like any loving mother would. Her genuine, and overwhelming, appreciation and excitement brought tears to our eyes! We were so happy because she was so happy. After all the hugs we sent her on her way, to get her mom and to celebrate her birthday in warmth!

Friday, November 6th, 2009

It's FRIDAY!  Another week gone! They seem to be flying by now.

I'm so happy - we have heat! Not that we need it now - it's like summer out there again! But, we're prepared for winter now.

I got some more aprons cut out and sewn today. My list has grown - I have twelve to make - 5½ are done! It's fun doing them though.

This evening Maxine is on a date with her boyfriend, Ben. They went out for supper and then shopping and to a games arcade. He came home with her after school today and they hung out with their friends in the neighborhood before going out this evening. Our driver took them - I think Rory may have slipped him a $50 to keep an eye on them! Rory is coping well under the circumstances! I just feel old! Very old!

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

What wonderful weather! We've had the doors and windows open all weekend, no air-conditioning and no heat needed!

Our driver took Rory to the lumber yard - I think Rory could have spent the whole day there. He bought some wood to make a workbench and shelving in the garage, which of course necessitated the purchase of some power tools! So, our next stop was B&Q where, in addition to power tools, we also bought a new clothes hanger/drier thingy for outside. The one we have now is fairly unstable and often blows over in a gust of wind sending all the clean, drying laundry into the dust and dirt. So, a new one was much needed. It's quite the monster and will be delivered today, set-up tomorrow - nothing happens at the same time here. A different crew have to come out all over again to set up. I told Rory this morning that they needn't bother - Wang Yi will have it set up in minutes she'll be so excited to see it!

Yesterday, while Rory was building his workbench, I got some more aprons sewn. I have only 2 left to do! I, along with the rest of my family, are hoping that I'll get them finished by tomorrow afternoon so I can get everything put away. I need to get back into my Chinese lessons, and also need to do lots of revision! I canceled them last week, now this week I've moved them from Monday mornings to Tuesday afternoons. I think that will be better for me in the long run though. Monday morning 8am was the worst!

On Saturday evening our friends that are moving to Singapore took us out to dinner so we could give them some information about Singapore before they move. We walked in the door of the restaurant and there was Andrea, LG, and Najjla and Stan! Andrea and LG were getting the same information from Najjla and Stan about Germany, where they'll be moving to in a few weeks.

This evening I went next door to Najjla's to see the suit the tailor had made for her husband. A full-lined, perfectly made 4-piece tuxedo with white shirt, custom fit - all for……..800rmb! That's about US150! Now I just have to come up with a reason to get one for Rory. I think that'll be easier than finding a reason for him to actually wear it!

Monday, November 09, 2009

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

OMG! OMG! OMG! Today I went to Jinsheng Market to try find some "Chinese take-out food boxes" and I found a whole new floor full of WHITE PLATES! It was the ultimate restaurant supply depot! I have now seen every white plate, dish, bowl, platter, cup, saucer, jugs, tourine, known to man in every shape, size, texture, pattern... and that was just the beginning! They had food mixers - industrial size, for only US$160! Cake pans for US$1.50! Huge mixing bowls, giant woks, ladles in 20 different sizes, cast-iron grill plates, table-cloths….I could go on forever, really!

My Christmas wish list just grew, ten-fold - so did my kitchen remodel budget!  J  J  J

I never did find take-out food boxes. They must be an American - Chinese thing, like fortune cookies. I got some strange looks when asking for them so stopped after a while.

It's still raining. And now it's cold too. But, we have heat J

Curiously, in the last week or so Maxine has taken to staying after school to "study"…..hmmmm. Not sure how much studying is going on over a milkshake at McDonalds, across the road from the school, with the boyfriend! J Fortunately there's little opportunity for sneaking around - there's way too many parents around, plus, she's not that "unnoticable" here!

I had a Chinese lessons this afternoon. Oh boy. Taking a break takes it's toll. I was quite surprised how much I recalled when reading through my text book, but the lesson itself was a killer! She arrived at 3:45 and left at 6:30. That's almost 3 hours, without a break! The huge cup of strong, sugary coffee I gulped down before the lesson didn't help much either. It'll probably kick in around 2am knowing my luck......

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Why is it that some people can be so hurtful, not with what they do say or do, but rather with what they don't say or do? Are they so self-absorbed that it doesn't even cross their minds, or are do they consciously make that decision? Whatever the reason, it's definitely making me rethink what being a friend is all about.
I've decided that all the aprons I've made for everyone for Christmas will be going to people here who I think actually deserve them, to those who have made a difference in my life over the last few months. Why should I waste my time on people who don't give a rats ass about me?
I've also decided that all the jewelry I've been making for Christmas presents will be donated to the Hopeful Hearts bazaar so they can sell it and take all the proceeds. Why am I making gifts for people I never hear from all year? Not even a "hello email" or a simple reply to the "funnies" that I send? It takes 10 seconds to send a "hi, thinking of you" email. I think I've had more conversation with the Chinese gate house guards than I have with some "friends".
Or, is it me? I really do my best to be helpful, friendly, mindful, encouraging, happy, understanding, sympathetic…..and so on. Maybe I'm doing too much. Maybe, it's not enough. Maybe, I'm just not that likeable. Maybe life just sucks sometimes.
Yup, heaps of cynicism and decision making going on here!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Yup, yesterday was a shitty day - no other word for it. I could probably add a few more profanities to that, but I'll leave it at shitty. And, my decisions still stand.

Today I'm going to try to find a dressmaker at one of the dozens of bridal stores here in Nanjing to see if she can alter my dress. I think I need about 2-inches taking off the bust down to the waist. Lord knows where all that excess fabric came from. I certainly haven't lost any weight. I must have been experiencing post-flight bloating when I tried it on in Dallas. L I would have used the tailor that everyone else is using but he seems a bit overwhelmed with orders right now and I do not want him screwing up my dress by rushing it. So today, with my very limited, if not non-existent Chinese vocabulary in the dressmaking field, I'm going try to explain and hopefully make myself understood. I might end up with a dress two inches shorter or two inches wider, who knows!

A lot of the ladies are getting their make-up and hair done for the dance by one of the bridal shop owners. It's very reasonably priced - 150rmb (US$20) for hair and make-up and they come to your house. I can just picture them all walking in to the dance looking like Chinese geishas! Helloooo - Chinese make-up is not the same as Caucasian make-up! Maybe a practice run is in order!

From what I've heard it seems the dresses are going to run the gamut. From full-length gold-sequined shifts, full-skirted hoop-pettycoated ballgowns, to some "cut down to there" little silky numbers. It's quite interesting, and telling, seeing what style dress each person has chosen! I think there's going to be some AWESOME people watching at this event. That's what it's all about anyway, isn't it! I might just find myself a chair in a quiet corner somewhere and spend the evening with my camera!

Later……well, the dress is at the "shop". I tried it on, I shuffled around and re-adjusted, she pulled at it and tucked at it and pinned it, I took it off. She then whipped out her red thread (the dress is light taupe) and she started to stitch it by hand. I just about had heart failure! I immediately called one of our Chinese friends and she translated that I don't want it hand-stitched, I want it machine sewn so it doesn't pop open! And not in RED thread. OMG! I've had sleepless nights about this darned dress already. I'm going to have nightmares tonight! I've got to pick it up tomorrow morning. If she's screwed it up someone had better say a prayer for her because her life can not be guaranteed!

Friday, November 13, 2009

So far, it's been a good day, for Friday 13th! Jenny, my next door neighbor, and I went to pick up my dress this morning. I tried it on and it fits. I took a quick look at the alterations and saw no glaring problems. I didn't examine it too closely - like I said to Jenny - there's some things I prefer just not to know! We also called in at 9 Dragons, a shopping center neither of us had been to before, to see if we could find Rory a white long-sleeve shirt. Nothing. Plenty of other things, but no long-sleeved shirts. Weird! So, we schlepped across town to Aqua City, another shopping mall, and got him a shirt at H & M department store. We were lucky - it was the only white one and the last XL one - which is apparently what size he takes in Chinese sizes. I'd taken one of his shirts with to compare against anything I was looking at buying, knowing that their sizes were funky here. Let's hope it works because it's the only white shirt in Nanjing that has any chance of fitting him! Once we'd finished shopping we stopped in at Starbucks for some hot chocolate. They have all the Christmassy flavors out already, which I was surprised to see here. I had a Dark Cherry Mocha and it was yummy! Jenny had the Toffee Nut Latte which she said was also good. The shopping center also had wintery decorations, not necessarily Christmassy but lots of white fake trees with silver accents placed on pedestals in the middle of the mucisal fountains. It actually looked very pretty. By Monday we might be able to skate on it!

It's so cold out - rainy, windy, and icy cold. Our driver says it's a good possibility it will snow later this weekend or Monday. Sydney checked on Google and the forecast for Monday is a HIGH of "0" - yep, freezing! Now I'm finished sewing all my aprons I'm ready to snuggle up on the sofa with a book and a fluffy blanket - FOR THE WHOLE WEEKEND!

Maxine has a bunch of girls over this evening. There's lots of giggling going on upstairs. I think they're trying on different dresses, etc.  Sydney and I had a Hero's marathon, then got bored with that, so watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I'm really hopeful that she becomes good friends with the new girl that will be coming in January. She's also 12-years-old.

Rory's at LG's farewell dinner so I'm imagining it's going to be a late evening! We're taking the new guy with us shopping tomorrow morning so he can see what's out there. Hopefully I know enough already to fluff over all the bad stuff - and focus on the good stuff! Otherwise it can be very daunting and scary for new-comers - there's really not a lot of Western stuff out there.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Somewhere close to midnight I think Friday 13th managed to sneak in its bad luck just in time! It's ffffffreezing! (And, as you'll see, those are not only shivers, but shortened expletives!) Our ffffff-heat is out again! The entire system is ffffffffrozen over outside. I thought that only happened when the air-coniditioning was overworked or something, but this is the heat??? I called the ffffff-management office and there no-one there today that can speak English. All I got was "Ni hao, wei…wei…wei……blah, blah, blah, blah, blah" FFFFFFFF!
With a HIGH of "0 celcius", in other words FREEZING, looming over us I'm not too fffff-happy about it! I'm supposed to be meeting the new plant manager this morning and we're supposed to be him out with us today. I couldn't even shower this morning for fear of turning into a popsicle! He's going to take one look at my hair and say "OMG!" It's not looking pretty this morning. FFFFFF! Oh well, welcome to China! He'll have a ffffffantastic report to take back to his wife!

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

We took out the new plant manager yesterday morning and then went for lunch at a small restaurant across the road from the school. We took him to Metro, B&Q, Times Grocer, which is a tiny little store that sells overseas goods, then to the veggie market, then to lunch. He seems to be a really nice guy, and more importantly, in my opinion, his wife sounds great! She's very crafty - loves to sew, scrap-book, make cards, and will go to gym if she can fit it into her day. I'm so glad and relieved she's a crafty person! I had visions of a marathon-running, lettuce eating, gym bunny. Bleugh, bleugh, bleugh - there's enough of those around here!

This morning Maxine and I are going to Jinsheng Market and Golden Bridges to find some boots and a jacket, and to shop for some Christmas presents. I also need to get some small boxes to sell my jewelry in. They have a pretty good selection at GB. Yesterday I made about 30 pairs of earrings. Most of them are really simple, inexpensive little danglies that most people could buy for Christmas gifts or stocking fillers. They're still very pretty though, just not very elaborate. I used a lot of beads that I only had a few of - not enough to make a bracelet or necklace, which helped get rid of some excess. Some I made a bit more sparkly. With the NIC Ball coming up I thought maybe some people would be shopping for something to go with their dresses. I made just a few bracelets and necklaces too. All of it will go to the bazaar on Thursday. I'm really hoping it'll sell and they can make some money from it.

Rory's walked down to the courts to play tennis with one of the other Celanese guys. I told him he's crazy - it's so cold out there! He made some shelves and got his garage "workshop" all sorted out yesterday. Looks like home!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Snow!  And lots of it!

The fun started on Sunday night around midnight when the neighborhood transformer exploded and sent us all into freezing cold darkness. Maxine came in around 6am to say the lights weren't working and there was no water and that it had snowed!

We had about 6-inches overnight, and already a lot of trees were battling under the weight of the snow. By midday, with snow still falling, a lot of them started giving way and falling into the roads, breaking fences, blocking roads, some unfortunately falling onto cars too. It was the first time in 50 years that Nanjing has had snow in November and with the trees no having dropped their leaves yet, I think they were just totally overburdened with the snow collecting on them.
We sent the kids off to school since they could walk to the bus and the main roads were clear. I think they were better off there anyway - they had power, were warm and dry, and were kept busy! Rory stayed home, knowing that the roads would be a nightmare and that his 45 minute commute would easily become a 90 minute one! We got some long sticks and managed to shake a lot of the snow off the heavily weighed down trees which, I think, saved a few of them. We did loose a big branch of our magnolia tree though L
Frisco didn't like the snow at all, but Buster went nuts! He ran around like a crazy dog, jumping around and totally spazzing out!

Rory shoveled snow and melted it on the gas cooktop so we could flush the loos! How much loo-flushing does one really need to do??? I think he just wanted something to do! I went back to bed!

By lunchtime when the temperature in the house had dropped to the 40's, and it looked like it wasn't going to be a quick fix, and the management office had no idea when we would get power back, we decided to all check into the hotel up the road. I think 30 families checked in, filling the hotel. It turned out to be quite festive!

So, we spent Monday going between the hotel and home since we had to leave the dogs at the house. By Monday night I think we'd had close on a foot of snow, and while travelling down the road I think our neighborhood got the worst of it. Maybe something to do with being up against the mountain - maybe it stops the snow clouds and they dump it all on us? It did look very picturesque though.

Sometime during the night last night the power did come back on, so we're back home today, but don't yet know what tonight will bring. It's supposed to stay at or below freezing the whole week so we might be left with lots of frozen snow and slush for a while. But, I'm enjoying looking out the window while it's lasts.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

It's been a crazy couple of days. I was wondering why we didn't have any hot water, just vaguely lukewarm, and then realized this morning that the hot-water heaters needed resetting after the power went off. Grrrr! Ice cold showers in winter are not for me! I was also wondering why I hadn't been receiving any phonecalls, only to find out that all the phone batteries needed recharging. Also, most of the neighborhood didn't have internet service yesterday, but we did, strangely. So I had a houseful of kids here doing their homework using the wireless connection, albeit reluctantly! Not sure how much homework got done.

This morning I went to the Hopeful Hearts meeting to help wash pretty little heart decorated mugs and pack them with chocolate chip cookies, to stuff mini Christmas stockings with mulled wine fixings, and to take the jewelry I'd made. It was a fun morning and I got to chat with some very nice ladies, some of whom I'd met before, some not. They needed a new poster design so I've volunteered Maxine. She gets service points for doing it so I'm sure she'll be eager to help out.

Although the meeting was just around the corner, it was treacherous walking because all the snow has iced over now and with it being hilly it makes for some slippery situations.  Plus, big chunks of snow keep falling out of the trees so you really have to watch where you're walking! I had visions of one falling and not hitting me on the head, but sliding down and melting conveniently inside the back of my jacket!         

I made some pretty little gift tags this afternoon, and finished wrapping up my aprons, only to realize when I was done that I hadn't taken any pictures! DRAT! DOUBLE DRAT!! I'll just have to take pictures with the recipients wearing them!

Hmmm, Italian meatballs and spaghetti for supper tonight…..haven't had that in years! Maxine made a cake again this afternoon. Mmmmmm, the house smells so good…..
Last week it was sugar cookies, on the weekend it was cupcakes….I'm going through baking supplies like crazy! Ben came home from school with her and they made a turquoise colored cake together. Poor guy! I suppose he does get to eat it though. He's probably the one behind all this baking going on! And…they actually cleaned up after themselves! I told Wang Yi she could beat them with a clothes-hanger if they didn't wash up afterwards. I think Maxine was afraid I would embarrass her by nagging at her if she didn't clean up. Oh well, whatever works!

Rory's off to Shanghai tonight, just for two days again. Hopefully nothing drastic happens while he's away….our neighbors tree fell through their huge living room window last night! So, I've been out there shaking the snow off as many trees as I can reach. A broken window is the last thing I need right now! And, she can only get it repaired next Wednesday! Grrrrr! Or should that be Brrrr!

As Rory get's back from Shanghai, Sydney goes there for a soccer tournament. She'll be gone Friday and Saturday. I'm not sure if it's my kids or the school, but I never feel like I've received enough information about these trips. Maybe it's just because we're in the middle of China and I don't really know where they're going anyway!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

I had an awesome day at the NIC Bazaar today. I got there early, at 9:30am, to help set up our table and ended up staying the whole day! We had a constant flow of people purchasing items at our table. I didn't sell as much jewelry as I'd hoped to, but there were another 7 tables selling jewelry so I was happy with what did sell. J I made up for it in "new friendships made". The Hopeful Hearts ladies are really a wonderful group, so giving, so friendly, and crafties too! Our table sold 20,000rmb worth of goodies! That's about $3,000! We had a really good time and I got some Christmas shopping done too. I also met the lady who runs "Pins and Needles" - the sewing group. So, in the new year I hope to be able to get together with them on a regular basis. Maybe I'll try to get to a meeting before I leave for Dallas for Christmas. That way I can see what kind of things they work on, and perhaps put together a Christmas wish-list!
After the bazaar I gave one of the Hopeful Hearts ladies, Eleanor, a ride home. We stopped in at Starbucks for some much needed caffeine, and a nibble, since we hadn't had lunch and it was already 3:30! Of course I had to have my latest indulgence - the Dark Cherry Mocha - Mmmmmm - perfect for a cold day.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

Yesterday Rory and I went to Golden Bridges to order a cushion. Between our living room and open room there's two pillars and between the two pillars there's a short wall, almost sitting height. So, I thought it would be nice to have a cushion made so people could use it as a seat, instead of us using it as a junk collector! I used some large sheets of paper and made a template, I wrote down the measurements (in Chinese) and I drew a picture of what I wanted…….and it was still such an ordeal! I have no idea what I'll end up with - but I suppose anything will be better than sitting on ice-cold marble!  It should be ready by Monday already.

Last night we met with the Kings - Robert, Angela and the kids. It was a great evening and Sydney even made it too, after being stuck in traffic coming back from Shanghai. We're taking them out today to Fuzimiao so they can buy some gifts to take back to family in Dallas over Christmas. I hoping it's not going to be too cold.

Yesterday I made two cakes, yes two. The first one flopped totally. I was so mad. A great big dip in the middle! Then I made a chocolate cake and that flopped too. I swear I have never had so many problems with baking, ever! I think I might be able to rescue both of them though. The chocolate cake - nothing a bit of chocolate ganache won't wide! Hopefully! And the apricot nut cake will get sliced into thin slices and sandwiched with apricot preserves and doused in apricot brandy, and cream cheese frosting! An apricot explosion! I'll have to place a "must be of legal drinking age in order to consume this cake" sign next to it!

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

I went to beading group this morning. Not to bead but to BUY beads! Cynthia had bought 35kg's of Bali-type beads in Shanghai last week, at wholesale prices and was selling them. Of course I had to lighten her load! I bought about $25 worth, which was a bag full!
After beading group I went to Golden Bridges market to get my cushion that was finished. They never stuffed it! It's about 1-foot wide by 3-yards long by 3 inches thick. They were supposed to put foam in it. I ended up getting our driver to come in and help me tell them what I wanted. An hour later I have a stuffed cushion for the same price I was originally quoted. It looks okay, not as good as I'd hoped it would but I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to those types of things. Anyway, it's better than cold marble for sitting on! While I was there I also got my Christmas Bunco gift! It's a good one! I couldn't resist it!

This evening we have our agent coming over to check out the STILL outstanding issues we have with numerous things throughout the house. Rory fired the old agents so hopefully this new bunch will be able to get things done!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

I made "The Pioneer Womans" pumpkin spice muffins today, for our neighborhood Thanksgiving feast tomorrow. I got 30 perfectly-plump mini-muffins out of one batch. Perfect! My plate only holds 28 so I had one leftover for Wang Yi and one for me! I had already mixed up the cream cheese frosting so we were able to put a good dollop on them too!  Tomorrow I'll pipe it onto the muffins using a star nozzle and then stick two little fall-leaf sprinkles on top of each one. They're totally scrumptious, incredibly easy to make, and of course, 100% calorie free! I wish!
I'm also making Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes, which are basically mashed potatoes with all the fixings for baked potatoes mixed in and then baked. Sounds yummy!

It's only 9 days till we leave to go to Dallas and they're going to be hectic....tonight Rory goes to Shanghai for two days, tomorrow is the neighborhood Thanksgiving feast, Friday I have to get new address cards printed, I have a doctors appointment, Buster needs to go to the vet, and the girls have a Winter Party which is formal. None of the kids are going formal, but just a little better dressed than normal! On Saturday night Rory and I have our Oscar Night Winter Ball….still have to finish altering my dress! I was hoping to get my nails done beforehand but don't think it's going to happen. On Sunday I'm going to Shanghai with Andrea and a few others on the train - hmmmm, there might be some fake designer bags in my future! If anyone wants one - you'd better place your order now!
Still not done….next week is the kid's exam week so they're studying every evening and all weekend which always seems to involve parent input. I'm hosting a farewell coffee for about 50 people for Andrea on Thursday, so Wednesday will be spent shopping, baking and preparing for that. I need to find somewhere to rent plates, cups and saucers, etc. since I definitely don't have that many! The kids have another winter party that Friday night, and we have to pack to drive to Shanghai for our flight to Dallas early Saturday morning. I realized I'm short two aprons (darn those newcomers that arrive just before Christmas!) so I have to sew those. I still have Christmas shopping to do, as well as birthday shopping for Rory! I need to shop for the kids I picked off the Giving Tree at school; I need to explain to Wang Yi how long we'll be gone for and that she needs to feed the dogs everyday! We're having painters come in while we're away, so I need to explain to her about them as well, and what they need to do. Lord knows, even though her English is good by Chinese standards, I don't think it extends to "painting baseboards, door frames, and pillars"! I also need to finish writing my Christmas cards and get them posted. Aaaaargh! My head is thumping. My computer screen is smothered in Post-it notes! It looks like a giant daisy! I need more coffee, again.

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

We had a lovely Thanksgiving Feast at Andrea's. Oh my gosh, there was so much food! It was really interesting because, although it's an American holiday, everyone is invited and we all give thanks for the friendships we've made here. We had some English, Italian, Thai, German, Dutch and Swedish dishes as well as the traditional turkey, etc.  Maxine and Ben came home from school STARVING so I sent them over to Andrea's to help clear up some of the leftovers! I'd bought Sydney a plate of food home as well as some desserts since she's the only REAL American in the family. We waited till Max and Ben had gone to Andreas before we took it out knowing very well that they would have eaten the lot! Now, I can relax and enjoy the evening - the kids have been fed already!
I got the absolute last of the aprons made last night. Phew! I'm out of fabric so there will be NO MORE aprons! Now I can put that sewing machine away for good. I think it needs an overhaul, or a few screws tightening at least. Poor thing has never worked so hard!
Well, the coffee pot is calling my name….so that's all for now.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

We've had no internet for two days. It's back up now, but intermittently. It's got cold and rainy again, just in time for everyone to be wearing their skimpy, fancy ballgowns! Shihong, Andrea and I went to get our nails done this morning. It was fun going with someone else. When we got back home I quickly made Andrea a bracelet and earrings since she didn't like the ones she had. A bunch of the ladies are getting their hair and make-up done. It's really inexpensive to do, but I was a tad bit concerned about an Asian doing my light make-up! I might regret not having mine done, but I think I'd be even more upset if I came away hating what they'd done. I'm hoping to get lots of photo's tonight to put up on the web-site!

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Myyyyyyyy feeeeeeeeeet! Aaaaargh! My feet are soooo sore! We had an amazing time last night, despite the freezing, rainy weather. We arrived at the Sofitel Galaxy Hotel around 6:30 and had our picture taken after which we mingled, chatted, drank champagne  and posed for more snap shots in the foyer of the ballroom for about an hour. The ballroom was beautifully decorated with tons of white roses, silver, gold and mirror. Very glitzy. They had huge screens up high on the walls playing movies like Titanic and Casablanca. Instead of numbers each table was given the name of a movie. Ours was Rain Man. Unfortunately Tom Cruise wasn't part of the package L The meal was delicious - lobster, soup, then filet mignon, then English toffee chocolate something. Each course was also named after a movie. The entrée was The French Connection. I think the soup was Out of Africa and the dessert was The English Patient. And then we danced, and danced and danced …till 1am! Some people had some serious moves - usually the ones you least expected! Throughout the evening the Nanjing International Club Choir sang movie tunes which was quite fun, and while they were singing we had a couple dancing, and then later a Kung-fu demonstration to music! We had a really, really good time and it was fun just relaxing and enjoying the occasion, and seeing everyone's outfits including the men's. One guy was "pimped out" out in a leopard print jacket with black satin lapels. He and his wife sat at our table and I was a tad bit concerned that Najjla, Queen of Animal Print, might just nab his jacket for her husband before the evening was over! Shihong had her shoes off before she hit the dance floor and then never sat the whole evening. She had this huge red ballgown on but she hitched that thing up and bopped around the dance floor all night. I think she'll be feeling the effects of the red wine this morning!

I'm definitely feeling the late night and early morning now. It's 6am and I'm up and ready to catch the train to Shanghai with Najjla, and Andrea and her parents! I washed down two Excedrin for breakfast with a strong cup of coffee, and packed the rest of the bottle. It sounds like Najjla's got some serious shopping to do. She's taking a roll-along suitcase to pack her shopping in! We're going to the fake market as well as the pearl market, so maybe I should be taking a roll-along suitcase too!