MORNING COFFEE

Where do I start? I guess with my new car....A silver (silver steel, to be exact) Chrysler 300 Limited. I have longed for this car since 2004 when they were reinvented to look like a touring car. I remember being in Minnesota in October 2oo4 and driving up to one in a school parking lot and drooling. I decided to wait two years until some little old man who buys a new car every couple of years, traded his 2005 in for a 2007. Didn't happen. Used 300s are very hard to find. I have combed used car lots and dealers for the last 3 months, along with the internet. Finally, I decided I just had to have one, so I left home on a Saturday morning (November 4th) and stopped at every Chrysler dealer and used car lot between here and Pittsburgh. I was about to give up when I spotted 4 cars in Mick's lot on McKnight Road in Pittsburgh. There was a white, a cream, a magnesium, and a steel... I did not want a white car because you have to clean the tar off them every week...Been there, done that. I love shiny black, but you have to rub on them constantly. I have had dark cars and they chip and look like they have the chicken pox. My choice was grey or silver.
The salesman was out in the lot before I got my car door shut! He got the keys and I sat in the driver's seat. I knew I had to have it. The rational was, I had been looking for two years and had no luck. If I waited until spring there would be even less to choose from and I would still be without a 300. Plus, my Intrepid had 140,000 plus miles on it and it was starting to rust. I signed the papers and drove away in my brand new silver steel metallic Chrysler 300! It has a sunroof, Sirius radio and heated seats! I am still figuring out how to work all the bells and whistles. The weather here has been exceptionally great this month and I have been able to open my sunroof almost everyday. I called the 800 number for the satellite radio from the parking lot of Starbuck's in Cranberry on Saturday evening after I got done shopping. It was on in a flash and I have been listening to Radio Margaritaville and Real Jazz ever since.

I am done with Christmas shopping but still have to wrap everything. Presents are all over the dining room waiting to get wrapped. The gifts that have to be mailed will get done first since I want to get them on their way by Monday. I have been trying to have my purchases online mailed directly to the recipient. Sure does save a lot of hassles. I have even been to the liquor store and made my purchases.


Trey was here for Thanksgiving. He came down on Wednesday and stopped at Bert's to visit on his way here. When I told him that we were going to go out to eat, he was disappointed because there would be no left overs. I cooked a turkey breast with stuffing and gravy and made scalloped corn on Wednesday after work so we could have turkey sandwiches the rest of the week and Trey could take some home.

We went to Quaker Steak & Lube for dinner on Thursday. Joe was not thrilled, but I was able to make the decision to eat out last Thanksgiving when Leslie moved to ABQ and we were no longer eating at her house. It was less expensive than cooking a turkey and all the trimmings. I could never have presented all the goodies they had available. Thanksgiving will be an eat out
day from now on! After all, it is National Fat Day! The one and only day where we just eat and eat and eat.

Sunday evening we went to TARA to hear the Madrigal Singers. It was very enjoyable. The food was quite good, with my favorite being the beef stew (porridge).

Deal and No Deal are doing well. Every once in a while, I move the divider between the 2 tanks and watch them try to attack each other. They are beautiful when the get all puffed out.

The Christmas tree at our house this year is my lighted palm tree. Since it is too tall and there is no room for it in the livingroom, it is on the redneck patio. Next summer, I just might have to cut about 6 inches from the bottom of the pole so the palm tree can be inside.

It's bedtime. Tomorrow is another day.......