Merry Christmas

Christmas came really fast this year. For the first time since I've lived in California, I stayed home. My mom came down to visit, and we hung out and did normal Christmas stuff. It was the close of a string of work pot lucks and Christmas parties that have been fun but make me want to never see fudge and chocolates again.

I was rooting for a white Christmas, which I partially got. It snowed in the high country at least, and poured in town so hard I was envisioning people boating down our main street as I woke up on Christmas morning. Mom gave me a new pair of snowshoes, which I am itching to go try out.

It was perfect weather for rum and egg nog.

Lessons learned: I'm ready for a salad and a gym session.

I'll be home for Christmas

I'm headed off to Whitefish for Christmas...and New Years. It's the first time I've been home in a year and a half. I probably won't be updating this blog much, because I've resolved to spend very little time on the computer while on vacation. Hopefully I'll get to see any of you who are part of the old high school crew. Merry Christmas.

Counting down

Here are the top five reasons I need a vacation:

5. I wrote and called and interviewed and wrote, and yet, somehow, I only had two real stories that ran in the paper this week.
4. There is laundry hanging all over my apartment, dishes in my sink, wrapping paper in the middle of the living room — it's a mess. That's not all that unusual. The difference is, I don't care.
3. I've started two books in the past four months, and I'm only into the second chapter of both of them.
2. Wednesday night I was hanging out with some girls wrapping presents. I stuck some tape on my lip, kind of like when you put bobby pins in your mouth to hold them. Only, bobby pins don't rip the skin off your lip when you take then out to use them.

And the Number 1 reason:
I forgot my purse at the gym last night. That's like, say, forgetting my right hand. Then I went on to leave my oven on for about two hours.

Luckily, I am flying to Montana tomorrow to spend Christmas at home and hopefully get my sanity back.

Lesson learned: I need to sleep in, read my book and not write for 10 days straight.

In the spirit

The other night, some friends and I had another Christmas party — that makes about 15 for the season so far. This was one of those heinous Christmas theme parties. We all wore gaudy Christmas sweaters and bells. Or in my case, antlers with bells, a big bow on my butt, a Christmas tree turtle neck, knee high red and green socks, and slippers with reindeers on the toes. I even had these huge silver ornaments as earrings.

I won't lie, I was pretty heinous. I could have been one of Santa's elves. I even won the contest.

And in some sort of garish holiday fluke, my friend Justin was dressed to match — we both wore a quilted Christmas vest and jean. He just didn't look as ridiculous as I did. Too bad.

Lesson learned: My tree has nothing on me.

Christmas? check.

I've finished all of my Christmas shopping, which is nothing short of a Christmas miracle. Usually, I'm one of those who does it all the way up to Dec. 24. Well, it's done, and now I can focus on cramming all the work I can into this week before I leave for Montana on Saturday. I'm counting down the days.

Lessons learned: Why haven't I done it this way before?

Deck the halls

I think I may have found the perfect Christmas tree. I've always been big fan of decorating for the holidays. I miss my family's traditions, but I have tried to make due since I've been away. This year, Jenn S., her husband Paul, their baby Riley, Justin and Sarah's friend Rachel came over to help me put it up and decorate. And of course, we had hot chocolate.

After a minor set back it getting the nails out of the bottom of the tree — which I won't disclose except to say that Justin broke my hammer — we draped it in lights, garland, ornaments and tinsel. Jenn was there last year to watch my process. "I mean this in the nicest way possible, but it looked like Christmas threw up on your tree," she said. Well, she hadn't seen my tree this year yet.

Lesson learned: Riley likes garland.