Recovering

Christmas is a crazy time for most people but I just don't know how to make it less hectic. I'd like to think there is something I can do to change it next year. But every year I end up taking three days to recover cause I've gone to 5 different homes, made 3 dozen cookies and schleped pets and presents all over God's green earth in a 48 hour span. Yet, there are some people I only see on this one day every year and I feel it is important. Like Trina, Travis and some of my cousins. And I wouldn't be able to play Nintendo wii with my spoiled little cousin's kid who goes to school with Madonna's daughter and has hair highlights at the ripe age of eleven. Every year I promise to make some changes and and I just don't know how to and go back to my belief that you have to take the bad with the good and just focus on the positive and take long naps when it's through.

Christmas Eve 10:30AM: Having my hair blown out as this will be my last few minutes of solace and I'd rather have this done than a massage any day. Also I'm pretty shallow & my Mom's family dresses up so much, so hopefully my hair will look presentable by 6PM tomorrow with no effort on my part.

Noon: wrapping gifts. Why do I save this all for the last minute? I bought 3 rolls of wrapping paper but I have run out of paper because I decided not to read that they each have 5 square feet on them. Damn! Let bake some cookies cause the sisters requested them last night. Note to self: give them the recipe.

2PMish: Loading car with gifts, load cat and cats supplies, and food.

4PM: Arrive Batavia stop for more wrapping paper and a gift card for an aunt.

6:30: EAt Pizza with Mom, Step dad, Missy and Kelly. My stepbrother shows up and surprises me. He claimed he had to work and couldn't make the tip from Florida.

9PM: MAke it to mass in which I manage to get away with sitting between both sisters in church. MAybe it's becasue WE made it through mass last year wthout a laughing fit. Maybe it's because I am 28 years old. Don't get me wrong and I attend church regularly. Okay in all honesty probably at least monthly. I don't laugh in church but there is something about being in church with my sisters that transforms into the 12 year old that is shooting her braces rubberbands across the cathedral. And this Christmas was no exception. My sister pointed out a man in long wavy hair and tight stone wash jeans and says, " hey it's Slash!" It was all over then. Especially when Slash sat right in front of us and then I realized that Slash's brother used to play in a band with my Dad. And then it continued from there as we tried to figure out if al the long haired people in the church were male or female. It's surprising had to tell from behind. It was like '89 all over again. There was more silliness about which one of us girls looked more like Ronald McCdonald in our red lipstick.

10:30: drinking cider and opening presents. I loved my ipod speakers from Kelly and retro mugs from Missy. My family member s all seemed to appreciate their hand knit scarves. Especially Kelly who got the Chevron scarf of death.

11:30: head home for some sleep

Christmas
9:30 AM Back on the road again this time bearing my dog.

11AM: opening a few gifts and stockings with my Mom and step dad, and breakfast,

12:30- head to my dad's house house for more gift exchange and a a quick call to my grandparents.

2:30ish: Driving back to my Moms house as I see Crazy John from NJ calls. Send to voicemail.

3Pm: walk dog, making salad for Christmas dinner, My Mom is on the phone with razy John form NJ and surprise he has no where to go for Christmas. GAve her some sob story about how at 32 years old with a good job, cooking skills and an apartment he has made a can of spinach for his Christmas dinner. My Mom asks me if it would be okay if this ex boyfriend that I had when I was 16 can come over for dinner. I put my foot down....sorta and said I'd prefer not to and if he did I'm keeping my keys on me and moving my car to the street to make a quick get away. She invited him to a later gathering at my Aunts house but he declined.

4PM. Christmas dinner. Delish!

5PM A quick game of balderdash

630PM. Dessert at my Aunt's house. Screaming kids, lots of Polish food and tons of desserts. I can't find part of my gift for my aunts so I've decided to make them new years gifts and hope I get my shit together someday. My aunt with Bipolar disorder is very depressed and looks about 20 years older than ever. I played with my cousins 2 year old who is the cutest little guy I've ever seen. Seriously, I'm not even being prejudice cause I've got some not attractive cousins. He's naughty and a adorable which is my favorite combo for kids that aren't mine. My uncle Hank is mumbling and handing me drinks. Over the years that I've known my uncle there are only 2 words I can understand coming out of his mouth. One is beer. The other is jacuzzi. It's like going to a foreign country and you only need to know the important words.

10PM- Drive to my friend cassie's house for board games and some sing star competitions.


Midnight- Go home, and sleep until new year.

priorities?

My upstairs is comprised of three rooms. The ceilings are sloped because the upstairs is basically attic space. Although there is plenty of space, there is not much standing up straight space. It's very cozy like. That is until you clunk your head on the stucco. One room is the bedroom. The second room is way small and kind of cold. There are no closets in the house so I've deemed it the closet room with a rack of clothes a dresser and shoes. I also put the dogs crate and dog bed in there. Finally there is the front room with school projects, my desk and the yarn.
Recently, dog has been spending lots of time in the front room. I asked myself why I dint' put his kennel and or bed in this room. It is somewhat bigger and warmer. Then I quickly replied to myself, " because that is where the yarn is!"

with a little help from my friends.

I was in a crap mood over the weekend cause I didn't get the intern placement I wanted. I was supposed go out to see my step dad for his birthday but My Mom was worried about me driving in the weather so that was all the excuse I needed to stay home. I did end up leaving the barracks to meet Jenny for some Christmas shopping. She said she had a feeling I needed a pick me up and gave me the most adorable hand knit in Peru finger puppet from One World goods. Jenny is hilarious. She just can't wait until Christmas to give gifts. She is so excited about them she has to give them as soon as she can. One year she broke into my apartment (AKA used her key) and put my presents under the tree. Do you think it's a llama or an alpaca?

meme

Erin has tagged me so here they are. Eight things about me...

(1) I refused to eat artichokes for years because they had the word choke in them. Then my friends fiances brother told me that the choke was the inedible part of the delicious lil plant. Why don't we just call them arties?

(2) I cannot wink unless I am intoxicated. This has been a real difficult pill to swallow. I sometimes cheat and turn my head to the side so you can't actually see that I am just blinking. Shhhh. I bet there are zero men in this world without the innate ability to wink.

(3) I believe very strongly in a firm handshake. I judge people with a wussy handshake.

(4) I can write forwards with my right hand and backwards with my left hand.

(5) As a child I had three pet raccoons.

(6) In high school I was a cheerleader and prom queen but I also had braces, a back brace and bifocals.

(7) I heart llamas. In college, a friends Mother was going to paint me a sign for my dorm on some slate. They asked what I wanted painted on it I said a llama just to be a kook. Somehow, it turned into a dance that I can no longer do since back surgery. It's pretty much a contact sport and those just aren't allowed. When I Asked Darcy what she wanted for her kid's sweater she hoped it would be knit with llama wool. Well, she did until she realized she couldn't machine wash llama wool.


(8) Raemen noodles are my comfort food.