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Momentary Thought
Contrary to the amount I complain about it, I really do like to wrap Christmas presents. Which doesn't mean you're getting out of wrapping the cousins' gifts, Marie. Heh.
High/Low
High: Two days left of this interminable audit!
Low: Two days left of this interminable audit.
Current Obsession
Finding a cell phone for Michael that I can purchase without getting a plan, too. We buy the phone, Michael sets up the plan, but it seems that nobody sells *just* a cell phone anymore.
Grin Source
I stayed home and wrapped presents (and watched Angel) last night while Calvin and Marie went Christmas shopping for little ol' me. What a strange, fun feeling it is to know that someone is out *right now* spending money on me! Oh, and Calvin thinks he knows what I got him for Christmas, but unless he's deliberately misleading me, by what he described last night he still has no clue.
Singing
When you are with me
I’m free…I’m careless…I believe
Above all the others we’ll fly
This brings tears to my eyes
My sacrifice
Creed - "My Sacrifice"
A Year Ago
More or less
In which I deal with Christmas Card politics.
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I'm being blessed with a Good Head Day, the likes of which were only slightly dampened by my trek (third time in two months), umbrella-less, out into the rain. I simply can not find our umbrellas to save my life. Or at least, to save my hair. Covered parking is at a premium at the best of times; you can rest assured that on rainy days even the Corporate Citizens are ignoring the rules and parking in the premium reserved spots in the parking garage. And contrary to what my Grandmother used to tell me, it is not possible to run between the raindrops.
I hope for two things this Christmas - peace on Earth, and a rainy day on the day I plan on making potato soup. There is no greater pleasure in this world than cooking comfort food on a blustery day. Dawn is planning on making my soup for her Christmas festivities with her folks. If any of the rest of you are making any of my recipes for your holidays, would you drop me a line and tell me about it?
Speaking of which, I had a great phone conversation with Dawn yesterday. Fellow fans will be relieved to know that she's still alive, just terribly busy. I was awfully worried about her, until I received a gift from her out of my Amazon Wish List ('Essential Journey' 2-CD set! Woo!), and realized she's still breathing.
So she's talking to me on her cell phone while she's walking down 5th Avenue. I think to myself "Well, that's terribly posh of her." She's telling me about her visits to Rockerfeller Center and Time Square, and her habit of getting fruit salads and sandwiches from street vendors. I think to myself "How 'Sex in the City' of her". She describes her habit of "cutting through Grand Central Station" on her way to this or that meeting. Her company funded meals and her weekly stays at an upscale NYC hotel. I think to myself, "Yep, I'm jealous."
She's ludicrously busy and is only home on the weekends. She lives out of a suitcase and hasn't had a home-cooked meal in ages. But she's in New York City at Christmastime, she's happy, independent, and living it large in the Big Apple. I'm dying to visit her there (which mention caused Calvin's eyebrows to shoot up into his hairline). The thought of going to New York City by myself is nervous-making, but knowing I'd be there with Dawn - capable, irrepressible gal that she is - completely mitigates the worry.
So, Dawn, if you're reading (and you better be!), I'm proud of you. Send me a Statue of Liberty snowglobe, and your address! I'll mail ya fixin's for Cape Cods - you can store them in your mini-fridge.
On a different note, a whole bunch of people wrote to express their appreciation for my warm-fuzzy entry about Calvin. You'll be happy to know that he's scored brownie points with his mom (Hi, Calvin's mom!), who read it. Yep, she done raised him up right.
I've been rather quiet on the entry front, mainly because my life has been consumed by two things only - the audit from hell, and Christmas shopping. We talk to Michael frequently, and he's arranging a surprise for Calvin that he let me in on. His exact words were "I have to tell *somebody*!" followed by "Don't tell anyone else." I lasted for a day, then I told Marie and swore her to secrecy. Really, I can keep a secret, but so can Marie. Besides, Michael made it a moot point a few days later by telling her himself. And she acted all surprised, bless her heart. So that exonerates me, right?
I'm happy, and I'm in full Christmas Spirit Swing. Plans for the festivities have all been arranged, and all the Christmas shopping/wrapping (save for one more gift for Marie and Michael each - and maybe one more for Calvin, if I can find what I have in mind) is done. Down to the stocking stuffers, which are stuffed and waiting to be hung on Christmas eve. For once money isn't a worry because of the refi that went through this month (which equates to no December house payment, which equates to a paid-for Christmas), and we're going out to eat like mad things. Long time readers will recall that this is one of my most favorite pastimes. The tree will be garnered (and garnished!) sometime this week. Our own little Christmas dinner is happening on the 22nd, with the same menu we had last year, just in smaller quantities. Family plans will be low-key, at Calvin's sister's house.
And I'll have scads of time off from work, during which I can eat, decompress, eat, write, eat, take a myriad of pictures, eat, read books, eat, get depressed about how much I'm eating, and eat some more. That's my own little Christmas tradition I'm starting, right there.