Christmas Blues

As y'all know.  I LOVE Christmas.  I especially love the lead up to the holiday.  The holiday itself goes by in a blur, leaving blue feelings and scraps of ripped wrapping paper in it's wake.

from imdb.com

My Christmas Day was a rather low key affair.  We went to see Into the Woods in the morning (after I made a point to go running, and after presents were exchanged and stockings ripped into)

John got my charms for my bracelet, and a magical cardigan of many pockets.  I got him Pocky for his stocking.  Misty got toys both from us and from my mom.

After the movie, I decided to cook.  I had ham from the day before. Vegetables from the day before.  And I thought I was being smart by cutting and freezing potatoes.  I defrosted them overnight.

Somehow the potatoes turned black and molded in my fridge overnight.  And liquefied.  It was SO disgusting!

In the end, we had enough food.  Friends came over for margaritas, leftovers, cards and Christmas specials.

form tv.yahoo.com

I capped the night with tea, freshly made Irish brown bread and the Call the Midwife Christmas Special.

(seriously, who was surprise that Cynthia became a nun???  No one)

Today I'm going to make some lunch, and after the Spousal Equivalent gets home we're going shopping.

And maybe I can talk him into getting pizza.

At least it won't be ham.

Happy Boxing day everyone.

What a long strange trip I went on.....

So, I bought a Groupon for Cranial Sacral Therapy.

I did research.

I knew what I was getting into!

I didn't expect it to me this... weird...  he suggested that I drink hemp milk to combat the EMF in my body.  It hit a level of New-y Age-y that I haven't reached in quite some time.  The guy was weird.  the office was more of a single room than an office.  It was weird.

And to make matters worse, as soon as I laid down on the table my stomach started going a humpback whale impression.  I was afraid I was going to call a probe.  (I know, this movie dates me SO much!)



Yeah, not going back...

Tomorrow is the real first day of vacation.  I put in vacation hours to do it and everything!  I need to get out and run.  We have plans to go to Christmas Town.

We just need it not to rain!  The forecast is all over the place for tomorrow.  Rain.  No rain.  Kinda rain.  I need it not to.  Because I need distractions.

The holidays are really hard when I'm not in New York with my family.

To say that my family has been in New York State for a long time is an understatement.  Dad's side of the family has been there for a generation or two.  Parts of mom's family has been in the same area of the state for about three hundred years.  Christmas was always a big deal on both sides of the family when I was growing up.  Now it's a time that I can actually see my family without someone dying to get me up there!

So this year we're starting some new traditions:

• Church on Christmas Eve
• I'm cooking on Christmas Eve so I don't have to cook much Christmas Day.
• We're going to a movie.
• Friends are going to come over and we're going to play WILDLY inappropriate games.

And there will be cure pets.  (This picture is old. but also adorable!)

I have a plan.  And I refuse to be sad.  I just need the weather to hold for a day.  I'm desperate for a run!

VACATION!

VACATION!  (sing it to this tune)


At 4:30 yesterday I left my office and won't return until the new year.

Of course I went to another office to turn something in.. and it was locked.... I picked up some cupcakes at Extraordinary Cupcakes and made me way home.

How did I spend day 1 of my vacation?  We went to see The Hobbit.  My verdict?  Not to be too spoilery, but there was a bit too much war and a little too little wrapping up the story.  After we did some shopping.  (Note to self:  until next weekend I will only visit stores in the early hours of the morning!  Sheesh!!)

What do I plan on accomplishing during my time off?

• cleaning- catching up on housework and all
• working out- I'd actually like to see if I can do 2-a-days when I have no other plans
• going to Christmas Town.  I need twinkle lights, spinny rides and cocoa.  Our current plan is to go on Tuesday!
• watching all the Christmas programming that I can.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

We've hit the final stretch.  I have half a week of work (plus today).  After that there is a weekend and two days.

Then it's Christmas.

It's a bit odd to me.  Christmas snuck up this year.  We're not going anywhere, so the holiday has a different feel.

I've always loved Christmas.  I think I get it from my Father's side of the family.  Grandma always seemed to love the holiday as well.  Their house was decorated with not one, but two Christmas trees.  Christmas Eve was the big day at their house.  Lots of relatives.  Lots of food.  And a joke box of ladies undies that went to a different person every year.

My Aunt seems to have kept up that tradition.  A gift exchange.  Lots of food.  Lots of wonderful conversation.  Lots of wine and whiskey.  (Apparently we missed the year of the drunken Christmas carols a few years back....)  But always fun.

This year it's going t be quiet.  Food, church and my collection of Christmas DVDs.  I still want to hit Christmas Town again.  When I feel nostalgic for those holidays of my youth, it hits the spot.

In the days leading up to my holiday vacation, I plan on cleaning my house.  Why?  So I can relax and lay around in my pajamas and feel absolutely no guilt.

9 days to go....

Guys, I'm 40 now!!

This past weekend was my birthday weekend!

This past weekend was also the deadline for graduate applications....

Friday, we got take out from Noodle and Company (free Birthday noodles).  Saturday I worked on graduate stuff.

Sunday.  Sunday was the big day.

Sunday I woke at 6am, and got ready for my big race.  The Christmas Town Dash 8K.  The previous day had been rainy, but there was nothing but sun forecasted..

Sun.

And wind.

Holy CRAP, the wind!!!

As people already know, the race is a whole lot of parking lot, with only a bit in the middle in the park.  I had a zip front sweatshirt on, and was glad of it.  I took it off and put in on multiple times during the race.  I used my interval timer, and Map my Run for the race, but no music.  Actually, Map my Run wasn't speaking to me, so I had no idea of my pace.  But in the end it turned out to be ok, as I beat last year's time.  Seriously, I wish they'd have more park and less parking lot!

Honestly, the best part of the race is high fiving the Marines on the San Marco bridge.  It comes in at about the half way point and is a welcome sight.

They even gave me my medal at the end.

Medal in hand, we went home for a nap.

Later on that afternoon, we left to go back to the park to eat some food and meet some friends.

But the sore, scratchy throat from Saturday caught up with me, and we were home by 6, me with a headache, sore throat and feeling generally crappy.

Yesterday my co-workers gave me a cake, and all sorts of people wished me a happy birthday.

Not a bad way to turn 40.

A rather successful Saturday

This time of year is always rather stressful.  It's a mad rush of things that need to be prepared for next year.  The biggest of all of these tasks is graduate applications.  The job involves scanning, uploading, filing and data entry.  It's hours of work for weeks on end.  The worst of it happens around this time.  The dreaded deadline.

After working all day on this for most of the week, I spent 6 hours today hunched over my keyboard to get the rest of it done.  (And my back is paying for it.  Ow)

And I did.

I also managed to run, play some Just Dance, vacuum 2 rooms and put away a mountain of clean clothes.

It feels rather good to have accomplished so much, while at home in my jammies.

Tomorrow is the Christmas Town Dash, and the beginning of my birthday week.  We're doing a trip out to the park after the race.

I'm turning 40.  And I plan on ringing in my 40th year riding the rather tame rides at Busch Gardens.

And now, to wait for the Spousal Equivalent to come home so I can dye my hair.  After missing a chunk of it once, I need a spotter to help!

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!