KRAZY KRISTMAS TIMES!

We are going to the kid's

Christmas program tonight and I just hope that I can get in the right frame of mind before it's time to go. Work and certain bad feelings born at last Saturday's work Christmas party had left me in a less than friendly and jolly frame of mind this past week. However, i need to forget or move on or both and get my merry on for this weekend. After all, I had a jump start really with Thursday night's dinner date with Joe and Phoebe. It was very pleasant, actually and came with a bonus in the form of my middle sister and 2 yr old niece showing up at the same restaurant just as we were getting our drinks and about to place our order. As she and Joe had yet to meet (due to circumstances and whatnot) and because its just the polite thing to do, we asked them to join us, and it was a rather nice dinner.

So I'll spend the afternoon helping my mom wrap presents and my sister will take the kids to Burger King to play or to the park maybe. Whatever we do it will be fun, and they are on Christmas vacation for the next 2 1/2 weeks, so they already have the attitude that fun times are ahead, and I just need to absorb some of that. Determined to make this the best Christmas ever. :)

BRACE YOURSELF, FOOL!!!

BEST THANKSGIVING EVER!!!

The day started with a long(ish) drive out to the 'country', you know how it is - over the really crowded freeway, past the Igloo factory to auntie's house we go. Actually it wasn't too bad, and thanks to my dad's uncanny ability to be super-punctual, we were there quite on time for lunch - YUM! Ok, not so much yum... they're real fond of putting the guts in the dressing and gravy, tons of un-cooked onions in the mashed potatoes (but no butter or milk - weird!!!) and making various other casseroles and what not that's hardly if at all recognizable. Don't really care, though, as my mom and I brought 2 bottles of wine and turkey is always tasty!!!

The great thing about going out to the country is that the girls can go crazy running about playing, riding the 4 wheelers and horses, swinging from the trees and chasing the other kids. I seriously doubt that Phoebe went inside for the 8 hours we were there. Maybe to go to the restroom (she is my kid in that she will NOT tinkle anywhere that is not very much a well-appointed bathroom, thank God!!!). That's my niece in the picture above riding on a tire swing that my older cousin made to look like a horse. Too cute!

Now for the drive home... all I can say is the first few minutes was a bit stinky and quiet... then I woke up :)

Black Friday!!!!

I normally don't spend a lot of time at the mall or hanging out in a bunch of stores (except you, Walgreen's, I luv you!!!), and my temperament doesn't really lean itself towards crowds or waiting in long lines or being around a group of strangers. So you would think that I would run far and fast from Black Friday drama, but no, for some reason I luv it!!! I relish it!!! Hanging out in line for hours, freezing our tushies off... so much fun. My sister and I started out at Toys R Us, and it was a blast. We had some really funny ladies behind us and at one point we were laughing so hard at what she said about people who were cutting in line (see title), that I almost fell over. Seriously. Then it turns out the girl in front of us is the ex-girlfriend of one of the sons of one of the ladies at work. I know that's obscure, but we spent a while trying to figure out where we had seen each other before. Then when we finally got inside, it was so great - the lights, the noise and people, the smell of toys and new crayons! I didn't want to leave. Maybe that's why I love Black Friday so much - it's the start of my Christmas-y good feelings. Sigh...