The Christmas Post
I haven't posted in a while! So bear with me if this gets a little long. Or, you know, just read something else instead. Ha!
So, Sunday was Christmas Eve. D and I had big plans... we were going to get up early and have a big breakfast, plan a tasty dinner, see a movie, go to Niagara Falls to see the light show, and check out all the decorated homes in our neighbourhood. What did we end up doing? NOTHING. All day. We slept in, had microwaveable lasagna for supper, and watched tv all night. (We watched "It's a Wonderful Life", at least, but still.) We exchanged our gifts that night, and I scored: A hard protective case for my sewing machine, a knitting magazine, USB extension cable for my computer, $25 gift certificate to Reitmans, fuzzy cat-shaped bookmark, and a sewing box. He really went all out!
Monday (Christmas) we woke up early and went to church with his family, and then went back to D's sister's for lunch. His family opted out of the whole traditional dinner thing and instead we all had these eensy little frying pans to cook our own meal. Everyone brought different foods cut up into tiny squares and there were also things like eggs and pancakes. I had a few fajitas that tasted awesome, but fajitas just don't say "Christmas dinner" to me, ya know? So I was looking forward to having the turkey dinner with my side of the family.
I opened a few gifts - D's parents got me a stepladder (super useful!) and his sisters got us some really cute snowman-shaped coasters and a box of chocolates.
Since our family dinners overlap every year, this year we decided that I'd leave D's side early to be at my side on time, and D would stay at his side until it ended and come later to my side. So I left D's sisters and came home to drop off the leftovers from the first dinner and to pick up the pie to bring to my aunt's house. And this was the worst part of my day.
I pulled my car in to the lot next to another one. Note that I wasn't blocking the other car, and I wasn't too close, and I was alone and the other car was on my passenger side. But this guy (who is apparently just staring out the window all day?) started yelling at me to move my car. He said, "My daughter comes to visit me once a year on Christmas and I'd rather her be able to get into her car without having to use a jar of vaseline to get in! You're going to open your door and ruin her car!" His tone of voice was that of one who was about to murder not only me, but my closest friends and relatives. I was flabbergasted that someone would be so rude to me on Christmas, so I said back to him that I'm only going to be there a minute, and he yelled, "GOOD!!" and slammed his window shut. I yelled "Merry Christmas to you too!" and ran up to my apartment.
Where I proceeded to BAWL MY EYES OUT like a baby!!
I don't know what happened to me, but I haven't cried like that in a long time and I couldn't get a grip! I was sitting in my living room, coat and shoes on, clutching a couch pillow and sobbing like somebody'd run over my pet. I had to get to my aunt's, so, still crying, I grabbed the pie and went back out to my car. I slammed the door and peeled out the tires on the way out of the driveway. And then I blared Christmas carols and sang along just to get myself to stop crying by the time I got to my aunt's house. I had to circle the block a few times before I looked okay enough to go in. All because of that jerk.
I mean seriously. One, I wasn't blocking her car at all. I couldn't have even hit her car with my door because it was on the other side. Two, I was only staying for a minute, just to pick up a pie. Three, you don't talk to someone like that on Christmas. Four, you don't talk to someone like that AT ALL. No wonder his daughter only visits him once a year, he's a jackass. D was pretty mad at the guy when I told him about it. But I digress.
Once I got to my aunt's the day improved again. My family (25 of us!) sat around a huge makeshift table and opened Christmas crackers (and we all have to wear the paper hats, it's a family rule) and had the best dinner - all my classic favourites. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce still shaped like the can it came in. It's not cranberry sauce unless it's cylindrical! It reminded me of Christmases when I was a kid, and it really made me happy.
After dinner D showed up, and we played games on my cousin's new Wii, and I brought out Guitar Hero and even one of my aunts was trying it out (she was surprisingly good at it!). We left around 10:30 and I was exhausted.
Yesterday (Boxing Day) S and I decided to brave the mall and it was so worth it. But that is a story for another day. Or maybe later today. Definitely not now though. I haven't typed in a while and my arms are getting tired.
So, Sunday was Christmas Eve. D and I had big plans... we were going to get up early and have a big breakfast, plan a tasty dinner, see a movie, go to Niagara Falls to see the light show, and check out all the decorated homes in our neighbourhood. What did we end up doing? NOTHING. All day. We slept in, had microwaveable lasagna for supper, and watched tv all night. (We watched "It's a Wonderful Life", at least, but still.) We exchanged our gifts that night, and I scored: A hard protective case for my sewing machine, a knitting magazine, USB extension cable for my computer, $25 gift certificate to Reitmans, fuzzy cat-shaped bookmark, and a sewing box. He really went all out!
Monday (Christmas) we woke up early and went to church with his family, and then went back to D's sister's for lunch. His family opted out of the whole traditional dinner thing and instead we all had these eensy little frying pans to cook our own meal. Everyone brought different foods cut up into tiny squares and there were also things like eggs and pancakes. I had a few fajitas that tasted awesome, but fajitas just don't say "Christmas dinner" to me, ya know? So I was looking forward to having the turkey dinner with my side of the family.
I opened a few gifts - D's parents got me a stepladder (super useful!) and his sisters got us some really cute snowman-shaped coasters and a box of chocolates.
Since our family dinners overlap every year, this year we decided that I'd leave D's side early to be at my side on time, and D would stay at his side until it ended and come later to my side. So I left D's sisters and came home to drop off the leftovers from the first dinner and to pick up the pie to bring to my aunt's house. And this was the worst part of my day.
I pulled my car in to the lot next to another one. Note that I wasn't blocking the other car, and I wasn't too close, and I was alone and the other car was on my passenger side. But this guy (who is apparently just staring out the window all day?) started yelling at me to move my car. He said, "My daughter comes to visit me once a year on Christmas and I'd rather her be able to get into her car without having to use a jar of vaseline to get in! You're going to open your door and ruin her car!" His tone of voice was that of one who was about to murder not only me, but my closest friends and relatives. I was flabbergasted that someone would be so rude to me on Christmas, so I said back to him that I'm only going to be there a minute, and he yelled, "GOOD!!" and slammed his window shut. I yelled "Merry Christmas to you too!" and ran up to my apartment.
Where I proceeded to BAWL MY EYES OUT like a baby!!
I don't know what happened to me, but I haven't cried like that in a long time and I couldn't get a grip! I was sitting in my living room, coat and shoes on, clutching a couch pillow and sobbing like somebody'd run over my pet. I had to get to my aunt's, so, still crying, I grabbed the pie and went back out to my car. I slammed the door and peeled out the tires on the way out of the driveway. And then I blared Christmas carols and sang along just to get myself to stop crying by the time I got to my aunt's house. I had to circle the block a few times before I looked okay enough to go in. All because of that jerk.
I mean seriously. One, I wasn't blocking her car at all. I couldn't have even hit her car with my door because it was on the other side. Two, I was only staying for a minute, just to pick up a pie. Three, you don't talk to someone like that on Christmas. Four, you don't talk to someone like that AT ALL. No wonder his daughter only visits him once a year, he's a jackass. D was pretty mad at the guy when I told him about it. But I digress.
Once I got to my aunt's the day improved again. My family (25 of us!) sat around a huge makeshift table and opened Christmas crackers (and we all have to wear the paper hats, it's a family rule) and had the best dinner - all my classic favourites. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce still shaped like the can it came in. It's not cranberry sauce unless it's cylindrical! It reminded me of Christmases when I was a kid, and it really made me happy.
After dinner D showed up, and we played games on my cousin's new Wii, and I brought out Guitar Hero and even one of my aunts was trying it out (she was surprisingly good at it!). We left around 10:30 and I was exhausted.
Yesterday (Boxing Day) S and I decided to brave the mall and it was so worth it. But that is a story for another day. Or maybe later today. Definitely not now though. I haven't typed in a while and my arms are getting tired.