The Ghost of Christmas Past
So, Christmas was pretty darn fun. Got up around 9:30, opened presents in my sleep (like every year), then take a shower and get ready to head down to SI for family, grub and more presents. Mom takes forever to get ready (as usual), so we don't hit the road til after noon. We hit almost no traffic, but at the toll before the goethals bridge, jen's new wheel bearings act up and start making loud grinding noises when we're going slow. we make it to grandma's, but not without a fight to keep the car moving (front left wheel kept trying to lock up like the bearings weren't lubed). That'll teach Jen to keep a car after a frame-bending accident (alignment has been way off ever since). The Donigian's (mom's eldest sister's family - yes, my uncle is armenian) get there at noon, so they are calmed down by the time we get there, but they help calm down my sister once she gets inside. Aunt georgia (mom's other sister - the middle sister) is there too. we decide to open presents before eating, which is a first, but it works out great. we eat around maybe 4, which is great cuz we actually are hungry (after eating all the appetizers earlier), then we hang out for a couple of hours before dessert. during this intermission, a bunch of cousins come bearing gifts and noisy little kids. Matt (my cousin Matt Donigian from Connecticut) goes upstairs for a nap, but Christina (his sister) wakes him up before he gets to sleep for long, then i go up there for a bit, until another family stops by with presents. Dessert is disappointing for once...the apple pie is too tart and wet like it had been sitting out for a day, the rice pudding was as good as rice pudding gets (meh), the pumpkin pie no one noticed it, the fruitite was bland and the french vanilla cool whip didn't go with anything we put it on (nasty, man!)...the donigians stay til like 8, which is a new record since they usually are gone by 6, but our tardiness and the late dessert kept them later. it was a lot of fun, but we had to stay behind since we couldn't drive the accord home the way it was. i give andy a call around 10:15 and he picks me up around 11. we go to the movies to buy tickets for the 12:30 showing of paycheck, then hit up the dakota for dessert. andy gets chocolate pudding and eye get a banana royale, which is what we upstaters call a banana split. we get waters too. we head over to the movies, but they don't let us in early, so we play videogames for 10 minutes, then go in to a movie theatre filled with popcorn and candy wrappers. the seats are very comfy and the movie is amazing. i highly recommend you all get up from your computers and go straight to the movies to see paycheck. you will not regret it. so, we get out around 2:45, and andy drives me back to grandma's. i get to sleep maybe around 4 and wake up around 10, but keep going to sleep. jen comes in to fill me in about the car every hour or so, but doesn't need my help, so i just sleep til 3 then take a shower and eat lunch. jen comes back with the car from the honda dealer and eventually we head out for potown. it seems there were a couple of bolts missing from the front left wheel, probably related to the wheel bearing replacement 3 weeks ago. get home around 8:30 and look at cars online with jen. she may trade in the accord for a new car since it has been nothing but trouble since the accident a few months back. i hit up mobil for megamillions tickets, but i get there right after 11 and they aren't selling tickets anymore...head to mcdo where i get me a mac junior, hot fudge sundae, cookies and iced tea and head home, the long way of course. looks like i won't be going down to florida this break, so i get to hang with matty mo, christer and the schim til classes start-up again on the 21st. of course i have my court date for the ticket i got 2 summers ago on the 12th...maybe i'll postpone it again; don't feel like dealing with cops, yeah that's what i'll say;-)....got a decent amount of money for xmas, enough to cover the stereo i bought on ebay and a few frappucinos and cellphone bills at least. god bless jen's sprintpcs corporate discount; i'm paying 30 bucks/month while everyone i know has 40-50 buck phone bills, that's a rip, guys!!! well, i have to pay a visit to the lime green room, so I'll call it a night!!!