Of cars, cards, celebrities, and cruises

Just some random blurbs of things that haven't been written about yet due to the need to post a gajillion Christmas pics and then an 18-month Ari update...

I had to get gas yesterday morning, so I stopped at the gas station, only to discover that my gas tank door was frozen shut. And the problem is that the door is the type that opens via a lever on the inside of the car, meaning there is nothing to grab onto on the actual door itself. After vainly trying to pry it open with my fingernails, I sheepishly walked up to the booth where the Gas Station Guy was and asked if he had any de-icer or anything I could use to pry it open. He offered me a ruler, which worked like magic. When I recounted the tale to Tony, he laughed--and laughed entirely too much for a story that really wasn't that funny. Then he asked me, "Why didn't you just use the bottle of de-icer that's in your trunk?" De-icer? What de-icer? Oh yes... that bottle he put in there weeks ago. My feeble reply was that maybe my trunk was frozen shut, too. Yeah. That.

In other Bad-Car News, my radio is still refusing to work, and it's been... well, I don't know how long, but much longer that its last little unauthorized vacation. I know the radio itself works and that the problem lies in the wiring somehow, but it's a matter of finding time to fix it. But it needs to happen soon. I am growing tired of my repetitive repertoire of Broadway showtunes and Disney songs.

Last night, I addressed, stamped, stuffed and licked about 130 envelopes--our New Year's photo cards. Why we haven't invested in return address labels after over 5 years of living at this address is beyond me. When I was done, I settled my aching body on to the couch, and turned on the DVR to watch Celebrity Apprentice.

Celebrity Apprentice premiered last night, and it was as delightfully awful as I dreamed it would be. I'm not much for reality shows (well, except for American Idol, but that's more because of peer pressure because it seems like everyone and their brother watches it and if I don't, I have nothing to talk about with co-workers and random people in grocery store lines--so I blame you, General American Public), but I love me some Apprentice. It is truly my guilty pleasure. I think Donald Trump is the most ridiculously self-over-hyped "celebrity" there is, and to see him surrounding himself with a bunch of other pseudo-celebrities (most significantly, Omarosa, who is only famous because of being on The Apprentice's first season) is going to make for some fabulous guilty-pleasure TV. Bring it on, NBC.

Tony got a Wii for Christmas, and between that and his new subscription to the NFL Channel (which airs every football game known to mankind), I may never spend quality time with my husband again. The Wii is actually pretty fun, though. I rock at bowling, despite the fact that I suck in real life. I've discovered that my favorite "game" on the Wii is creating Miis (the little characters you use as players). I've created myself (obviously), an older version of Ari (with pigtails! and because Mary and Josh already created a current-Ari), Matt, Kristin, Nick, Pastor and Dawn. I'm pretty proud of my Mii--I think it looks a lot like me, right down to the little mole under her left eye.

We're going out to dinner tonight with Matt and Kristin to celebrate his birthday. We got sitters for the kids (thanks, Dad!), so it will be nice to have an adults-only night out. Not that we have anything crazy planned--we'll probably just hang out at our place afterwards, since I'm sure Tony will want to show off the Wii--but it will still be fun.

I've been thinking lately about our next anniversary--the big 1-0, coming up in August. I've always told him that for our 10-year anniversary, I want one of those 3-stone anniversary rings, princess cut. But now that our 10-year anniversary is so close, I think I'd much rather spend that kind of money on a fabulous trip. We've already toyed with the idea of a Disney vacation--either just the theme parks, or a combo theme park/cruise--but I doubt it will really happen. I've been putzing around on the Disney websites, and once you figure in airfare and other extras, it's going to cost a lot of money. But it's our 10-year anniversary--that's a pretty big milestone. We have to do something cool. If not Disney or a cruise, then something else awesome. I know it's still months away, but it's never too soon to start saving money and planning.