Christmas goings-on

It's not like I don't have anything to say--it has been quite an eventful week--but for some reason I have not been able to form a coherent blog post in my mind. Let's see, last Thursday was my office's potluck and gift exchange, which I organized. I woke up violently ill, but I'll spare you the gory details. I had no choice but to call in sick, which, because I have such fantastic coworkers, caused much concern and sympathy. I really felt miserable, but I dragged myself in for an hour just for the gift exchange. Everyone was so surprised and happy to see me. The president even gave me a hug, despite my germy-ness. The exchange went very well. Almost all the gifts were quality. The most coveted: $50 in scratcher lottery tickets. Other popular items were liquor-related, including a bottle of wine, noise cancelling headphones with a fifth of tequila taped to the package, and some sort of pumping device. I ended up with a fancy alarm clock, the kind with nature sounds and gradually brightening lights and aromatherapy. The lottery ticket recipient ended up winning 50 bucks. So I'd say the event was a big success. Everyone brought food, none of which looked or smelled appetizing to me. Giant platters of shrimp, huge mounds of ribs, salads, a cheeseball, cookies and candy, you name it.


I went home and immediately went back to bed, and did not rise until the next morning. Of course, spending nearly 24 hours lying down (most of it on my right side to help the tummy feel better) led to quite a backache, which was my main complaint on Friday, although my stomach was still not 100%. I barely ate--I tried some chicken soup but after a few bites it was just yucky. Around dinner time, the only thing that sounded good was a Jersey Mike's turkey sub, so I schlepped down the street in the rain to pick one up. Yummy! I felt much better the next morning (Saturday) but stayed home all day and took it easy. My biggest accomplishment was wrapping all the presents I'd accumulated over a few weeks' worth of shopping.

Christmas Eve I went to my parents' house where my brother and his family had already arrived. The commotion was the usual, with three little kids in various states of obedience and cheer, and a growing shepherd-mix puppy that wants nothing more than to play with my parents' three chihuahuas, who want nothing more than to be left alone. That evening we watched Little Miss Sunshine, which I still think is a funny movie, but which both my dad and my brother thought was lame. Bah humbug. Speaking of which, we also watched Scrooged, a modern classic.


Christmas morning I think I was the first to awaken, to the sound of a whimpering puppy who I thought would surely pee on the floor if she was not let outside. But of course, once she was downstairs, the other dogs woke up, and there was clashing, which woke others up, and then before you know it we're having breakfast and getting ready to open presents. Even though we tried to be a little more judicious this year in the volume department, there were still enough presents to open that we had to take three breaks.



Of course, everyone made out. I got a new external hard drive for my computer, as well as some super plush bath towels, a proof set, a car vac, memory cards for my camera, a Paris calendar, some Bath & Body Works stuff, and a couple things for Comet. The kids got toys and clothes galore, most of which they were not allowed to open because of all the tiny pieces that could get lost before they even get home. A couple things they did enjoy were the Aquadoodle mat, and the Speed Stackers cups.




For lunch we had a yummy casserole that had eggs, hash browns, cheese, and sausage. My version was made with southwestern Egg Beaters and textured vegetable protein, and some said it tasted even better than the "real" stuff. For dinner the carnivores feasted on giant slabs of prime rib,


while I had some mighty tasty turkey breast. Even hours later, we were too full to partake of the pie!

On my way out to the car, in the pitch black darkness, I stepped off the edge of my parents' driveway and twisted my ankle. Yowzers! I couldn't elevate it or ice it becuase I was driving home, and by the time I got home, I just wanted to go to bed. The next day I ended up wearing slippers to work because all I could do was hobble. I went to the doctor and she sent me for an xray, which thankfully came back negative. She recommended ice and elevation, of course, and a pull-on Ace bandage. I followed all three orders, and the best one of all was the Ace bandage. Man, with that thing on, I felt no pain! It was so cool. Today I was almost walking normal, which is such a huge relief, because my cruise is coming up very soon and the last thing you want when you're on vacation is to be hindered in some way.

There's more to tell, but I must be off to bed for my beauty rest. More soon, I promise.