Christmas time!!
SO it has been an exceptionally exhausting christmas but a great one too. I'm SOOO happy I got to come home this year after missing last year, I never want to do that again. And I know some people are completely jealous that I've got three weeks off of work (which yes is awesome) but it's hardly a vacation!
Dec. 18- Drove back into Tempe with the tour to smiles and hugs and a get together at a local little bar where the company bought everything (woot!)
Dec 19- Spent time with Eric, unpacked, did laundry, repacked, went to bed
Dec 20- Flight to Pittsburgh involving a two hour delay out of Atlanta for no apparent reason; Arrive at matt's sometime between 12:30 and 1am, sit up talking and gift giving until about 2:30
Dec 21- Suzanne picks me up at 11:30 at mattie's, we drive downtown, get my dad and make record time getting to my mum's (4.5 hours) so I was here before 5. awesome.
Dec. 22- Time with mum, do some grocery shopping (ie-the turkey and ham for xmas day, ingredients for stuffing, etc.)(I surprise mum by "accidentally-on purpose" paying for the groceries with my card instead of hers-merry christmas mum)
Dec. 23- Nick picks me up at mum's in his rented Dodge Ram; We pick up Darcy in Mississauga then drive to cousin Lianne's in Toronto to see her and husband, their two little girls, her brother, Steve, and his wife (who i saw in west palm), and our uncle. There were also some neighbours over and there was lots of socializing and eating...and then dinner arrived. lol. After the neighbours and my uncle left, we helped clean up and lianne and her husband went to put the girls to bed. Nick and I talked with Steve and Kelly for awhile before it became apparent that the parents had fallen asleep with the girls so Kelly started pulling out the xmas presents to wrap and I helped. around 11 Lianne came back and started pulling out her presents so i helped her out too. We went to bed finally about 12:30.
Dec. 24- Nick and I slept in the living room which of course meant we were the ones with the joy of getting up the little ones at 7am. Well Nick did, and i pretended they didn't wake me and dozed off and on until about 8:30 or so. Then around 9 we couldn't hold them back any longer and they ran down the hall to wake up mum and dad. Nick and I hung out there until a little after noon when we drove over to my step-sister Karen's house for Xmas with Dad and Suzanne. So we get there and Suzanne's in teh midst of setting the table and I notice that there are a lot of places set (usually it's just them, my bros and I) and she tells me that Karen will be with us since her daughter is with her father, and that my other step-sister Christine is joining us with her two daughters, none of whom I've seen in at least 6 years or so. Awesomness. So since Nick and I hadn't eaten, we headed out with Dad in search of some brunch/lunch. Wouldn't ya know we must have searched 6 blocks in the FREEZING cold before finding a place that was ope. Oy!! So we sat there until about quarter to three when we had to drive down to this french patisserie and cafe to pick up the Beef Bourganon (sp???!) they'd ordered to serve for dinner, and the little french cake they have every year. Then we drove back to Karen's and waited for folks to arrive...and did they!!! Darcy arrived around 4:30 or so and we did the present thing, and were just finishing when more people arrived. Christine also brought her boyfriend Mike, and their step-sister (Karen and Christine's) stopped by for an hour or so with her husband and their one year old boy. Dinner unfortunately was an eat and run situation 'cuz suzanne forgot her rice was going to take an hour to cook and darcy and i both had to leave at 8. but it all worked out and Nick drove darcy to his bus stop around the corner before driving me out to union station in downtown to catch the GO train back out to my mum's. I got back here about 9:40, and had just enough time for my mum to give me all the presents that still needed to be wrapped (just small ones thankfully) before she and Jeff and Sam went out for midnight mass. So I popped my newly acquired super deluxe edition Monty Python and the Holy Grail into the computer and wrapped away! I was just finishing the last one when they got back. Sam announced he was gong straight to bed and we all should too because 7am comes early. We all sort of laughed and said "yea sure" (he is 14 after all), and he went to bed. So then I put all the presents under the tree as my mum labelled them and finally went to bed around 2am.
Dad Xmas Presents: The traditional practicals (toothbrush, floss, deoderant, cashews,etc), Finding Neverland, Kenneth Branaugh's Hamlet, Bon Jovi's Lost Highway, and a cheque for $500; Nick gave me a hilarious card with a $50 cheque-the poor guy's been so insanely busy with his master's this year.
Dec. 25- Man does 7am come early!!!My mum and I are both amazed by the fact that at 14, Sam can't get up for school without a fight, but would you believe he can get up all on his own at 6:45 xmas morning. He went in and woke my mum at 7 and she told him to let her sleep and go open his stocking..."I've already done that" DOH!! So up they get, and I'm slowly waking since I'm sleeping on the living room couch. I hadn't even gotten a coffee yet before Sam put a present in my lap. lol. He's so funny. What a picture that wuold have made though-me, mum and jeff all sitting in our PJ's, coffee in hand, half asleep while Sam sits in the chair by the tree unwrapping gifts...for two hours!!!! it was quite the drawn out process, lol. Then it was time to get brunch started so sama nd jeff went downstairs to hook up the new PS3, and mum and i went to the kitchen, got the Ham into the oven and made two quiches. The boys showed up about 12 and we said hello. Then randomly my mum's brother Jake who I think i talked to at xmas maybe two years ago for the first time since i was a kid called so we all passed the phone for awhile before sitting down for brunch. After brunch was over, we cleaned up and then had to get the turkey in the oven. Luckily it was only a 22 pound bird since it was just us for christmas so getting it in by 1:45 was ok. Then it was time to do presents with the boys which didn't take too long since darcy had forgotten his at home (he's gong through some serious personal shit right now so we won't hold it against him ;-)). Then nick lay down on the carpet and took a 3 hour nap. by 5:30 it was time to get the other parts of diner ready so mum and i hit the kitchen again. Dinner ended up being about an hour late as it was discovered the turkey was not cooking as it should which led to the discovery that my mum's oven door doesn't shut properly. that'll be a call to the landlord. but it all got put together and was DELICIOUS!!!!!! Unfortunately everyone was so stuffed there was no room for plum pudding and custard dessert. The boys left around nine and I languidly cleaned up the kitchen while mum talked with her neighbour connie on the phone. Went to bed about midnight finally.
Mum's Xmas presents-magnetic bracelet, Indigo gift card, Swiss Ball, bottle of Crown, and a bottle of WolfBlass Cabarnet Sauvignon. I also got a new set of PJ's from my aunt shirley and uncle bernie. woot!
Dec. 26- I got up at 6:30am to go over to the Boxing Day sale at best buy in the hopes of getting a nintendo DS. They had none. *sad* But I did pick up some games while I was there(Big Brain Academy & MARIOKART!!!), a bluetooth earpiece for my phone and some cheap ass movies (the claire danes romeo & juliet, X3 to round out the collection, and Thank you for Smoking). I was home before 9 and promptly went back to bed until noon. The rest of the afternoon was spent in my PJ's alongside my mum in hers reading books in the living room. Nick came over around 7:30 and we had turkey dinner leftovers and sandwiches for dinner.
Today I slept until 11:30, got a shower and dressed and spent some more time reading, before going over to Indigo (the Canadian Borders) to spend my $50 in gift cards I got from my mum and Sam. woohoo!! I got The Last Templar, Kite Runner, God Bless you, Mr Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut, and Books 5 and 6 in the Pendragon series along with a new bookmark. My mum came to pick me up after dropping Jeff and Sam off at a hockey game and we spent a good hour drinking vanilla lattes and reading through cookbooks. Then we came home, made some spaghetti with her amazing sauce before she had to go pick up Jeff & Sam. When they got back we watched Thank you for Smoking, and now it's time for bed.
Tomorrow morning we're driving down to Niagara Falls for a hockey tournament game Sam has and I'm going to buy my bus ticket for Saturday morning. After we get back from there, probably around 3, Mm's going to take my over to a jewellers to get a couple links taken out of the really nice gold and silver magnetic bracelet she gave me, eat an early supper and then I'm maybe going to take Sam to see I am Legend.
And then Saturday morning, I get dropped off at the bus station on their way to another tournament game and head back to Pittsburgh. Then I'll be there through New Year's and fly back to Phoenix on the 3rd. PHEW!!!
So I hope you all had a very good Xmas and Happy New Year's to come!!!
Dec. 18- Drove back into Tempe with the tour to smiles and hugs and a get together at a local little bar where the company bought everything (woot!)
Dec 19- Spent time with Eric, unpacked, did laundry, repacked, went to bed
Dec 20- Flight to Pittsburgh involving a two hour delay out of Atlanta for no apparent reason; Arrive at matt's sometime between 12:30 and 1am, sit up talking and gift giving until about 2:30
Dec 21- Suzanne picks me up at 11:30 at mattie's, we drive downtown, get my dad and make record time getting to my mum's (4.5 hours) so I was here before 5. awesome.
Dec. 22- Time with mum, do some grocery shopping (ie-the turkey and ham for xmas day, ingredients for stuffing, etc.)(I surprise mum by "accidentally-on purpose" paying for the groceries with my card instead of hers-merry christmas mum)
Dec. 23- Nick picks me up at mum's in his rented Dodge Ram; We pick up Darcy in Mississauga then drive to cousin Lianne's in Toronto to see her and husband, their two little girls, her brother, Steve, and his wife (who i saw in west palm), and our uncle. There were also some neighbours over and there was lots of socializing and eating...and then dinner arrived. lol. After the neighbours and my uncle left, we helped clean up and lianne and her husband went to put the girls to bed. Nick and I talked with Steve and Kelly for awhile before it became apparent that the parents had fallen asleep with the girls so Kelly started pulling out the xmas presents to wrap and I helped. around 11 Lianne came back and started pulling out her presents so i helped her out too. We went to bed finally about 12:30.
Dec. 24- Nick and I slept in the living room which of course meant we were the ones with the joy of getting up the little ones at 7am. Well Nick did, and i pretended they didn't wake me and dozed off and on until about 8:30 or so. Then around 9 we couldn't hold them back any longer and they ran down the hall to wake up mum and dad. Nick and I hung out there until a little after noon when we drove over to my step-sister Karen's house for Xmas with Dad and Suzanne. So we get there and Suzanne's in teh midst of setting the table and I notice that there are a lot of places set (usually it's just them, my bros and I) and she tells me that Karen will be with us since her daughter is with her father, and that my other step-sister Christine is joining us with her two daughters, none of whom I've seen in at least 6 years or so. Awesomness. So since Nick and I hadn't eaten, we headed out with Dad in search of some brunch/lunch. Wouldn't ya know we must have searched 6 blocks in the FREEZING cold before finding a place that was ope. Oy!! So we sat there until about quarter to three when we had to drive down to this french patisserie and cafe to pick up the Beef Bourganon (sp???!) they'd ordered to serve for dinner, and the little french cake they have every year. Then we drove back to Karen's and waited for folks to arrive...and did they!!! Darcy arrived around 4:30 or so and we did the present thing, and were just finishing when more people arrived. Christine also brought her boyfriend Mike, and their step-sister (Karen and Christine's) stopped by for an hour or so with her husband and their one year old boy. Dinner unfortunately was an eat and run situation 'cuz suzanne forgot her rice was going to take an hour to cook and darcy and i both had to leave at 8. but it all worked out and Nick drove darcy to his bus stop around the corner before driving me out to union station in downtown to catch the GO train back out to my mum's. I got back here about 9:40, and had just enough time for my mum to give me all the presents that still needed to be wrapped (just small ones thankfully) before she and Jeff and Sam went out for midnight mass. So I popped my newly acquired super deluxe edition Monty Python and the Holy Grail into the computer and wrapped away! I was just finishing the last one when they got back. Sam announced he was gong straight to bed and we all should too because 7am comes early. We all sort of laughed and said "yea sure" (he is 14 after all), and he went to bed. So then I put all the presents under the tree as my mum labelled them and finally went to bed around 2am.
Dad Xmas Presents: The traditional practicals (toothbrush, floss, deoderant, cashews,etc), Finding Neverland, Kenneth Branaugh's Hamlet, Bon Jovi's Lost Highway, and a cheque for $500; Nick gave me a hilarious card with a $50 cheque-the poor guy's been so insanely busy with his master's this year.
Dec. 25- Man does 7am come early!!!My mum and I are both amazed by the fact that at 14, Sam can't get up for school without a fight, but would you believe he can get up all on his own at 6:45 xmas morning. He went in and woke my mum at 7 and she told him to let her sleep and go open his stocking..."I've already done that" DOH!! So up they get, and I'm slowly waking since I'm sleeping on the living room couch. I hadn't even gotten a coffee yet before Sam put a present in my lap. lol. He's so funny. What a picture that wuold have made though-me, mum and jeff all sitting in our PJ's, coffee in hand, half asleep while Sam sits in the chair by the tree unwrapping gifts...for two hours!!!! it was quite the drawn out process, lol. Then it was time to get brunch started so sama nd jeff went downstairs to hook up the new PS3, and mum and i went to the kitchen, got the Ham into the oven and made two quiches. The boys showed up about 12 and we said hello. Then randomly my mum's brother Jake who I think i talked to at xmas maybe two years ago for the first time since i was a kid called so we all passed the phone for awhile before sitting down for brunch. After brunch was over, we cleaned up and then had to get the turkey in the oven. Luckily it was only a 22 pound bird since it was just us for christmas so getting it in by 1:45 was ok. Then it was time to do presents with the boys which didn't take too long since darcy had forgotten his at home (he's gong through some serious personal shit right now so we won't hold it against him ;-)). Then nick lay down on the carpet and took a 3 hour nap. by 5:30 it was time to get the other parts of diner ready so mum and i hit the kitchen again. Dinner ended up being about an hour late as it was discovered the turkey was not cooking as it should which led to the discovery that my mum's oven door doesn't shut properly. that'll be a call to the landlord. but it all got put together and was DELICIOUS!!!!!! Unfortunately everyone was so stuffed there was no room for plum pudding and custard dessert. The boys left around nine and I languidly cleaned up the kitchen while mum talked with her neighbour connie on the phone. Went to bed about midnight finally.
Mum's Xmas presents-magnetic bracelet, Indigo gift card, Swiss Ball, bottle of Crown, and a bottle of WolfBlass Cabarnet Sauvignon. I also got a new set of PJ's from my aunt shirley and uncle bernie. woot!
Dec. 26- I got up at 6:30am to go over to the Boxing Day sale at best buy in the hopes of getting a nintendo DS. They had none. *sad* But I did pick up some games while I was there(Big Brain Academy & MARIOKART!!!), a bluetooth earpiece for my phone and some cheap ass movies (the claire danes romeo & juliet, X3 to round out the collection, and Thank you for Smoking). I was home before 9 and promptly went back to bed until noon. The rest of the afternoon was spent in my PJ's alongside my mum in hers reading books in the living room. Nick came over around 7:30 and we had turkey dinner leftovers and sandwiches for dinner.
Today I slept until 11:30, got a shower and dressed and spent some more time reading, before going over to Indigo (the Canadian Borders) to spend my $50 in gift cards I got from my mum and Sam. woohoo!! I got The Last Templar, Kite Runner, God Bless you, Mr Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut, and Books 5 and 6 in the Pendragon series along with a new bookmark. My mum came to pick me up after dropping Jeff and Sam off at a hockey game and we spent a good hour drinking vanilla lattes and reading through cookbooks. Then we came home, made some spaghetti with her amazing sauce before she had to go pick up Jeff & Sam. When they got back we watched Thank you for Smoking, and now it's time for bed.
Tomorrow morning we're driving down to Niagara Falls for a hockey tournament game Sam has and I'm going to buy my bus ticket for Saturday morning. After we get back from there, probably around 3, Mm's going to take my over to a jewellers to get a couple links taken out of the really nice gold and silver magnetic bracelet she gave me, eat an early supper and then I'm maybe going to take Sam to see I am Legend.
And then Saturday morning, I get dropped off at the bus station on their way to another tournament game and head back to Pittsburgh. Then I'll be there through New Year's and fly back to Phoenix on the 3rd. PHEW!!!
So I hope you all had a very good Xmas and Happy New Year's to come!!!