JanetLand, do you have an immersion blender? Do you like it? That soup looks yummy (and timely, as it is wet and chilly here.)

1. We may go to a model train show tomorrow, depending on how we feel. I haven't ever been to one, but we do Halloween and Christmas villages, and it seems like it might be fun.

2. It's January. This means crazy crazy time at work, but also, my birthday is on Monday. So I think I'm going to work tomorrow/Sunday from home, and take Monday off.

3. Emotionally exhausting stuff going on at home with my niece - am guessing this is just what it is like having kids, and I have a new, deep respect for everyone who does this for 18+ years. Trying to manage a job and house and her schedule (and she's 15! She can pretty much take care of herself for short periods of time!) is insane, especially this month.

1. Three day weekend, due to MLK day on Monday. I plan on doing as little productive as possible.

2. I've been taking photography classes at a local independent film school and a couple of the prints from my final project in the fall are going to be framed and hung in the school. It's not exactly getting into a gallery but I'm stoked that my instructor liked my work enough to display it.

3. I can't drink at all because I'm taking Mobic for my back. It's worth it for the chance at healing my back but it's annoying just the same.

Adding a kitten to the household to disrupt the current balance of power between Tor and Nora.

1. I'm going into town tomorrow to buy a guide book on Iceland, as I'm going there at the end of the month. Daunt Books is my destination, without doubt the most beautiful bookshop in London.

2. I'll go late in the afternoon, because I want to see some of the London Lumiere Festival exhibits tomorrow evening and photographs some of them. I'm hoping to see the Northern Lights in Iceland, so I want to check out the best settings to photograph lit-up things at night.

3. On Sunday I think I might go and see "Joy". It's a great cast, and I've watched Joy Mangano on QVC over the years and I admire her determination (and love my Huggable Hangers). I'll also be making some juice, as I went to the farm shop today and bought a ton of vegetables.

needlegrrl: I do have an immersion blender. I like it, because it's a lot easier to clean and you don't have to pour hot soup back and forth, but you gotta be careful to ALWAYS keep it fully immersed when it's on. Otherwise you will be wearing some of the soup.

needlegrrl, I have an immersion blender, the Thunderstick Pro (a knock-off of the Bamix) bought from a shopping channel 20 years ago. It's brilliant, really great for blending soup. That's what I use it most for, and for frothing milk to make lattes or cappuccini.

1. Not doing much today (Saturday). Was going to wash the car and do some gardening, but it's raining so I have a viable excuse not to.

2. Sunday will be doing finishing touches to renovation work on a friend's new (to them) townhouse so they can move in next week.

3. Need to get organised for getting the kids back to school, which I've left until the last minute as usual. Particularly complicated this year now youngest daughter is living with me full-time and haven't quite figured out how to get her to/from school reliably given I have to leave early for work most days :-(

1. Taking Monday and Tuesday off from work. FOUR DAYS!! That's FOUR DAYS OF NOTHING BUT CRAFT PROJECTS AND PIZZA! I AM SO HAPPY!!

2. Oh, but our handbell choir is performing Sunday morning at church. That's ok. We're doing "Give Me Jesus," an excellent piece for the day.

3. My sister's relationship broke up. It's so weird. She's never been without a partner since she was 13, and I've always been insanely jealous of that. Yet every. single. one. of those relationships has been stormy and/or volatile. But I just can't get past the "but at least she had someone!" mindset. How twisted is that?!

Melismata, I know exactly what you mean. My sister is exactly the same, most of the men she's been involved with (except one) have been disastrous, but yet still ...

1. Off on Monday for MLK day. Plans for the weekend include some home shopping, unpacking, and painting.
2. Visiting IKEA tomorrow to look over their kitchen cabinets. We have got to get our kitchen fixed up soon; the lack of cabinet space is killing me.
3. Also need to watch the season premiere of Younger on the DVR- anyone else watch it? Really enjoyed season 1.

1. Hectic days at work have slowed. I will have 4 days off since we don't have any new projects. I don't want the layoff to last for long, but it's nice to see daylight and actually have time to do life.

2. It will be slow at weekend job since weather is icky. I am planning on seeing a retired co-worker Sunday after work. We haven't had time to get together since my schedule/life has been crazy.

3. I hope to get to the thrift store Saturday after work, as I'm needing new pants.

1. My office is closed Monday but daycare is open! This only happens once a year! I have brunch plans with some other daycare moms and then a mani/pedi after. Last year my plans were foiled by one of the kids getting sick; keeping my fingers crossed for this year.

2. Taking the kids and myself to get passport pics tomorrow. I apparently have to get a whole new passport to change my name (been married almost four years but hadn't gotten around to it yet). We don't have any international travel plans, but I'd just like us all to have passports.

3. Nothing much else planned. Husband is working so I'm pretty much single mom for the weekend, and I am too wussy to take my two crazy toddlers too many places by myself.

1. We are back from Mexico, rested and happy, and I am delighted to only be at work today. Went to an incredibly inspiring MLK Jr. luncheon today, and that will also be the focus of tonight's Shabbas service.

2. My back has been acting up. It subsided during the one week trip but is nasty today. I have a massage tomorrow that I hope makes it all better. (In general, my massages tend to slowly but surely fix this issue.)

3. Aiming to attack the holiday/vacation weight gain I'm carting around. My 2016 resolutions, including more yoga, returning to running, and again eating in a nutritarian way, kick in starting today for me. The absence of alcohol and junk food will not, however, prevent me from enjoying the Seattle-Panthers matchup on Sunday.

1. Happy my wife is still alive.
2. We have a new black cat hanging out in our yard and we are feeding him.
3. Worried about $ but will put that off until Monday and enjoy time with the wife and the most cuddly cat in the world.

1. Had a great time talking to folks who are going to join my church, officially, next week. It's exciting and such a varied group of folks.
2. Had both boys home on Friday (my day off) because the oldest was sick. And now, of course, I'm feeling sick.
3. Still need to write a sermon, lead worship on Sunday, attend our women group's annual luncheon, teach confirmation class, and try to watch some of the Broncos vs Steelers football game.

I love my immersion blender, def get one if you are on the fence!
TPS- I am watching Younger but don't love it. Really into Jane the Virgin now though!

1. Husband is away for 2 days on his annual writers retreat, and this is my only my second time sleeping alone with the girls! He has done it several times because of my work trips. I was a little nervous, but last night went great and no one woke up til 6am. M was being really cuddly this morning and so cute. Enjoying parenting right now.

2. I have work today and I should get down to it now but I am haunted by the smell of baby poop (is it on me somehow?) and I would rather read stuff for a while.
I need to get a new desk and sell this current one; it's the wrong shape and layout for what I need. Seems like a huge undertaking though I know I can prob just go on craigslist for both tasks. Arghhh

3. Booked a last minute trip to Puerto Rico after seeing some cheap flights so we are leaving Wed night! Luckily we don't need passports bc we don't have them for the girls yet. I should get on that at some point though, amro is right, it's good to have them ready.
People have been asking what we are going to do there and I think the answer is nothing- just our normal schedule with babies but in warmer weather. I would usually do tons of research and try to plan fun things but traveling with the twins is just not easy so I think the restaurants and museums and cool stuff will have to wait until they are older.

1a. I was foiled by the stomach flu - I got it! Drat. But at least it didn't happen over the weekend when I was alone with the kids, that would have been so awful.

2a. I was foiled by a fall on the playground - my son's! He scratched up his face between his nose and upper lip, so no passport photos until that has healed.

amro, why do kids always know how to sabotage a day off? I was by myself until the daycare called- G had pink eye. Doctor, Target pharmacy, so much for all my house painting.

Ugh, the dreaded pinkeye. My kids act like you're trying to put boiling oil in their eyes when you give them eye drops.

Thankfully (heh) he has an ear infection too so the oral antibiotic will cover everything. No drops!!! G is my little French horse so this is very good news. In other news, I think I have pink eye :(

Better: we all have pink eye!

Uggghhhhhhh!

Pinkie has pink eye. ......

The family that shares (sorry)....