Da Weekend

First of all, there are STILL a lot of unknowns about Bhutto's death, and NOW the rumor is that Al Qaeida wasn't part of it but Pakistan isn't sure they want an independent investigation from other Countries. hmmmm Wonder why?????

Friday night was Little Red Hen movie and dinner night. I took the easy route of cooking by stopping off at Byerly's and buying some garlic herb chicken and cheesy potatoes that only required my tossing it in the oven and baking. I also bought fresh green beans and sauteed them in olive oil. LRH3 aka Carrie brought some Mrs T's Perogies that we boiled and fried up in onions, butter and cream. The meal was FABUUUUUU. Then we watched Transformers and Harry Potter's Order of the Phoenix (or whatever the title is). By that time we couldn't keep our eyes open so Carrie and I went to bed and Julie went home. Carrie and I watched the movie Reign On Me this morning with Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle. Loved the movie. Actually loved all the movies I rented. I also got Man of the Year with Robin Williams and watched that tonight afer I got home from Jon and Genevieve's.

We celebrated sibling Christmas at J and G's house since they were in Wisconsin on Christmas. They made chili and and we had a bunch of snacks and played some games of Wii. It was a lot of fun.

For Christmas this year I got a 4 slice toaster, a mixer and a recipe card holder from Land O Lakes. I may have to take a picture and post it! My kitchen is actually really looking like someone cooks in this condo once in awhile! I am so excited!

I'm feeling kinda burnt out these days - been a busy couple of months (tho I love being busy) - as long as I get some down days. I have a feeling that Sunday will be a down day where I chillax all day. Then it will probably be a half day or so of work again and off for another day to chill.

I think 2008 will be very busy at work this year since we have some big upgrades on our plate so I better milk the mellowness at work while I can this week.

10 pm News Update

According to WCCO news, Al Qaieda has claimed responsibility for Bhutto's death.

Benazir Bhutto

I was saddened today to find out that Benazir Bhutto was assasinated. If you don't keep up with World News, Bhutto was a female Presidential candidate for Pakistan running against Pervez Musharraf.

Here is a quote from one of the many articles on the Internet today.

"I think by far the most likely (suspect) is the al-Qaida organization, which has been trying to kill Bhutto for the better part of the decade," said Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former senior director for South Asia on the National Security Council.

"If it's not them, it's certainly one of the groups that are sympathetic with them," Riedel said. "They all work together and share a common antipathy to Bhutto because she's a woman, an advocate of secularism, a supporter of democracy and everything they stand against."

I personally won't be surprised at all if Musharraf is behind the killing somehow because what man wants to lose to a woman? And it was appearing the Bhutto would win the elections in January because once again, she was a "Princess of the People". Not that I remember any of the Kennedy tragedies, but that is what I first thought when I read the news about Bhutto. Once again a man or woman was in office or most likely would be in office and was a person that wanted to do good for the peons of the country (like most of us are) and as soon as that person starts trying to make things better and to give US..the PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY some power....WHAM, they are wiped out.

NOTE HERE....I am not in any way, shape or form a political prowess. I am just a news junkie and try to keep up on what's going on in the World. And that is my theory on the killing of Benazir Bhutto. Another great woman from the bits I know has been stopped in her tracks to make a better world. It is very disappointing to me because I seriously think the World would be better off with more Women in Power. I think women tend to be more sensible and not so ready to go out and show off their Muscle or Power. No offense to any man reading my blog. There is good and bad in everything and everyone.....that is just my general thinking.

I hope I don't get tossed in jail for voicing my opinion. Free Speech America!

Potatta Curve

Forgot to add that we also had Potato Sausage (or as my auntie Peggy Nordin calls it, Potatta Curve) that I had brought home from good ol' Lancaster in November when Julie and I were up there for a weekend. It is the best potato sausage around! Thanks Uncle Arlen and Auntie Janet! (They own the store in Lancaster that sells it).

Christmas!

My After Thanksgiving 20 buck Christmas Tree!

Greg and the Half Cow, I mean Prime Rib!

Food Glorious Food!

Michele the Gift Presenter!

Grandma and Grandpa Opening Presents

Zach and Sam

Don and Travis

Julie, Kelsey and Abby

Michele, Kelsey and Abby

Travis, Zach, Mom, Abby, Greg, Kelsey

Auntie Heidi, Travis, Zach, Abby, Kelsey

Christmas 2007 has just about come and gone. We are getting a Christmas snow right now, started around 2pm. Last night I went to Oakdale with some friends. I have been friends with Beth Bear since Catholic school in 5th grade, so that is about 32 years! Yikes! Her and her mom Peggy and their entire family have become family to me! So I went to Peggy's sister's house in Oakdale for Christmas Eve. Had awesome stuffed pork chops and I brought a Baker's Square Candy Cane pie for dessert. Peggy and I look forward to that darn pie every year and start thinking about it in October! One piece does you in because it is so sweet but I love it! Today we had Christmas at my condo. I made Prime Rib (it was already seasoned because I have a connection in the Food Service business - thanks Todd!) so all I had to do was pop it in the oven and bake. It turned out PERFECT and was SO Delish! I also made chicken marsala because my nephew and nieces and sister Michele aren't huge beef eaters. Me on the other hand LOVES a good piece of meat! Then we of course had the cabbage rolls (halupchi) and perogies and a Caesar salad and mashed potatoes and corn and green beans. And for dessert we had the cookies that people had made for my cookie exchange I had a couple weeks ago. And my friend Todd and his kids had given me some of their homemade candy. Yes we had TONS of food but leftovers are always good to have so I don't mind having tons of food. Who came today? Greg, Mom, Julie, Don, Zach, his friend Sam, Travis, Michele, her friend Jim, Kelsey and Abigail. I got a 4 slice toaster from mom and Greg, so YAY! We are doing another Christmas on Saturday at Jon and Genevieve's for us siblings (we drew names). They went to Rhinelander Wisconsin to celebrate with her parents and brother. The men left early (except for Jim) so they could take naps after eating. The rest of us sat around and watched the movie Elf with Will Farrell which as GOT to be one the best Christmas movies EVER! I am not a huge Will Farrell fan, but I could watch ELF over and over and never tire. Mom and Julie were the last ones to leave so now I am watching The Christmas Story (I have never seen it in it's entirety yet). The movie with Ralphie that wanted a Red Ryder BB Gun. It was a perfect Christmas. I have been invited out for a couple more stops, but with the snow I am not sure I want to drive around...still contemplating.

Perogies and Halupchi 07

Uncle Lon and granddaughter Alice. My mom was there too!
And I can't believe I don't have a picture of her. Sorry Mom!

Cousin Alice supervising Perogies!

Heidi Halupchi

The Pasta Machine that saved us!

Cousin Carrie and Auntie Mary Jo cooking cabbage

Julie and a Cuban Cigar? Nope, halupchi!

CareBear aka The Muscle Jr

Cousin Carrie, Lon, Alice, Julie, Cousin Jaime

Genevieve, Jon and me

Today was a Little Red Hen perogie and halupchi making day. Cousin Carrie, sister Julie and I became the Little Red Hen club a couple years ago when we got together to make perogie for Christmas and no one else showed up to help. We decided that it was the Little Red Hen story and nobody would get to share the fruits of our labor. Of course, they did anyway! Then last year it was a big soiree over at Carrie's with lots of helping hands. This year a bit smaller but Auntie Mary Jo an Uncle Lon were in town once again for the festivities and it's great having the Norwegian Mary Jo show us Polish kids how to make the perogie. This year went good other than the decision was made that the Nordin girls need more practice making perogie dough, or else next year it will just be Mary Jo's task! We first started rolling out the dough with my marble rolling pin that weighs about 10 pounds but then Cousin Carrie's brute strength came out and broke off one of the handles. Then we used Carrie's rolling pin and ended up with the cheaters way and used Carrie's pasta maker to get the dough nice and thin. Does that make them Italian perogies then? hahahaha. The halupchi aka cabbage rolls were much easier to make so we decided next year we will start with the perogies to get the hard task done and finish up with the halupchi. Regardless, it was still a lot of fun! Now I REALLY can't wait for Christmas which I am having at my place with lots of yummy food. I love that us younger generation peeps are trying to keep up some of our ethnicity. Carrie had also make some awesome lefse at her aunt Susan's a week or so ago and that was a fun Swedish snack to have (I think it's Swedish).

Timberwolves

Friday night Julie and I went to the Timberwolves. While I was very ticked off that Kevin McHale got rid off KG (Kevin Garnett) and I just wanted to be mad with the Twolves - I hate to admit that this years' team is growing on me. It's just too bad KG couldn't have been surrounded by the likes of Ryan Gomes, Al Jefferson, and Corey Brewer. While they have lost a lot of games this season - for the most part every game I have been to has been fun to watch and the crowd even seems a bit more into it. I still think the Wolves should get rid of McHale, but I am just a peon fan.

12/20/2007

My brother has put a link on his blog to my blog, so I guess I am a full fledged blogger now. Does this mean I am moving closer and closer to geekdom? I think the fact that I just can't get into the whole video gaming thing will save me from that title.

So what I like about the blogging, is being able to read my relatives humorous thoughts, see pictures, keep up with what they are doing so I will try to keep that in mind.

To start off small I am going to place a quick thought and picture. I have a button on my jean jacket that says "I am Liberal and Proud of It". Which I have to say I like being a democrat or progressive. My parents and my grandparents have been Dems, so I might as well stay with what's in my blood. That and the fact that my thoughts and feelings on the matters in the US and World are much more in line with the Dems. Personally, taxes are not a big deal to me. If my roads are safe, the education system is good, healthcare is available, there are places for the homeless to go, etc. I will pay taxes. I feel it is overall for the betterment of our Country. So that being said, yes I am an Al Franken for Senate Supporter and have a picture of my sister Julie and I meeting Al and his wife Frannie at a Democratic Women's Club. This will not be a political blog, but I am sure there will be political thoughts scattered about here and there.

Now, if I can get the picture on here, I will be tickeled pink.

Trying this blogger thing

Now that I have succumbed to the cable company and have high speed Internet access at home, I am branching out and trying this blogging thing. I have come to realize that I really enjoy reading my brother Jon's and cousin Carrie's blog...so maybe someone won't mind reading mine when they are surfing at home.