Category: General

I wasn’t on much on Monday, so I didn’t do PromoGuy’s Monday Mission until today.

1. What present did you rilly rilly think you were getting one year but didn’t?

I don’t remember what it was. Seemed like I was about 8 or so and I had found my presents and saw what one of them was … and then my parents didn’t give it to me. I am sure I got something different instead, but it was a bummer to not get the gift I was expecting.

2. What is the one food or drink you look forward to during the winter holidays?

Fudge, Rosettas, Peanut Butter Balls. (I still haven’t had any Peanut Butter Balls and I am *really* craving them!)

3. People suffer from mental issues or afflictions for years before they get diagnosed, but once they are, they usually lead better lives. Have you ever had experiences in this area?

Other then wishing my mother would get diagnosed? No. I was diagnosed with depression a few years ago, but it is such a part of who I am that I couldn’t stand what a zombie I was on the anti-depressents and I stopped taking them. Getting rid of the IO helped the major depression issues, the rest are just part of who I am.

4. Do you take any meds?

Girlie meds – sex makes babies you know. Claritin when the allergies flair up.

5. That cousin of yours may be getting a job in Hollywood making movies. That would make me pretty dang jealous, how does it make you feel?

Happy for them if that’s what they want to do. Hopefully they will introduce me to the cool stars, but if they don’t – oh well.

6. I was still hanging out with an old high school bud 10 years after graduation, but eventually it felt like I outgrew him and we no longer had anything in common. Have you ever had to “divorce” yourself from a long-time friend?

No, I divorce them as soon as the “outgrowing” feeling occurs. I did try to date my high school sweetheart again about 8 years later – and realized on the first date that things had changed a LOT and it was never going to happen. I had grown up, he still wanted to party all the time.

7. Thanks for meeting me for dinner, and the club was great. I know it is getting late, but I’m not ready for the night to end. What do you think we should do next?

How about a nice moonlight stroll? Or we could go to a cafe and talk. Something light and casual, but fun. What do you think?

BONUS: How can u just leave me standing alone in a world so cold?

Oh… you know I would never leave you alone…

We ate. We ate. We ate some more. Fudge. Stuffing & Turkey. Ham. Beer Cheese soup. Cookies. Pie. And there were gifts. Tons of gifts for Jason. Some gifts for the grown-ups. I got a beauuuutiful Rival 6qt Crockpot, *programmable*, stainless with a removable black liner. It’s so pretty. I got my Dilbert 2002 calendar. I got a Betty Crocker Crockpot cookbook and some cash. All was good.

Christmas went better this year then in years past. Since about 1992 (Jason’s first Christmas) our tradition has been for my Mom & I to have some HUGE and insane arguement over something that shouldn’t have even been discussed in the first place. 1998 she actually disowned me. (Short lived, but still…) A big influence on this (1993-2000) has been the IO and the fact that she didn’t like him, even though he wasn’t around for any of those holidays, her way to try to get me to get rid of him was to take it out on me. Yeah, and you wonder why it’s hard now to get into the holiday spirit?

But this year … other then a little tension on Christmas Eve morning when I said “I don’t want to spend the night there, but I will because it’s not worth upsetting anyone over” … everything else went off without a hitch! YEAH! Christmas has been restored to the holiday of peace and love that it should be. I don’t have to dread it any more, afraid of the days or weeks worth of arguements that will be spawned off of one day. Maybe it is the first sign of what the upcoming year has in store for me … if so, it’s going to be a good year.

The time has come for the computer to go off. I wanted to take a moment first to wish *ALL* of you a Merry Christmas! I hope Santa brings just what you wish for and that you have a wonderful time. The best gift I have received this year has been to meet so many wonderful and amazing people through this site. I am thankful for each & every one of you, and in the end who could ask for more? Thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed on me, the hours of laughter and joy, the comfort in the time of sorrow and tears. A lot has changed in my life since Christmas, 2000 – and when all is said and done, it has been a good year for me. Thank you for being a part of it. Merry Christmas!

The gift wrap paper has been flying around here today. I didn’t want to wrap the gifts early and put them under the tree because who knows how the silly kitty will react to them. Plus I never put them out until Christmas Eve anyways. I only have 3-4 more to wrap, and then Santa gifts to wrap tonight at my parent’s house. Whew, almost done…

I did some reverse shopping today too to avoid the crowds on Wednesday. 4 stores, including Wal-Mart, in less then an hour and a half. Yeah! More money back in the bank. I have a gift or two here for Jason that I would take back but I can’t find the receipt anywhere after an hour of searching earlier. I guess I’ll just have to give them to him. Santa may bring him one of them. And we have already had the “Christmas isn’t about greed” lecture twice today – hopefully I won’t have to remind him again. I am debating about returning his $30 coaster set that I got at Discovery Store and using that money towards a bigger TV after Christmas … decisions, decisions. Hmmm…

I am about to give him his copy of Shrek now so that he can be occupied with that for an hour or two before dinner. This was always the longest night of the year for me as a kid…

Just like Michele, my Secret Santa was a dud. Nothing. I made Kymberlie look at my wishlist a week or so ago, and then again on Friday. The only thing ordered is Jessy’s gift from Mar’s Secret Santa exchange waiting for me under my tree. That’s it. I’m not really complaining, it’s already been a great Christmas so far. Moulin Rouge from Kymberlie, a lovely bottle of wine from the boss, “Best of New Order” from Tod at work (cleverly packaged in a CROUTON BOX with some dry pasta so I seriously thought it was a box of croutons and almost didn’t open it!), my gift from Jessy, goodies from Robyn & Todd, and … well, the joy of having so many wonderful friends. But it annoys me that someone would sign up for the exchange and then … nothing. And I have sent 3 e-mails to the good folks at ThinkBlank, and haven’t heard “boo” back yet. Oh well, lessons learned.