So this is Christmas
I scored some good loot for Christmas this year. My mom and my sister both gave me a lot of wine paraphernilia so when I opened gifts from them back to back I looked like an alcoholic-in-training. I got a wine rack, wine charms, some kind of wine preservation device, wine stoppers, and a little insulated picnic wine tote with two little wine glasses, oh, and more wine glasses. Devin has been complaining that I have too many glasses but I just think that he should appreciate the challenge I am giving him. I also got a tank top that changes colors in the sun, a big cutting board, pots and pans, fancy lotions, a pretty bracelet, tweezers (?), and toe socks. The tweezers were from a girl at work. She’s from Nepal and these tweezers work so well she bought a pair for everyone at work. It’s not so bad though. My sister bought my mom anti-aging cream for Christmas. Joss said mom is always complaining that she’s getting old and I guess Joss was trying to help. We bought Devin’s parents the DVD/VHS player that they’ve been wanting and it was a huge hit. A week before Christmas they were telling us about how they had seen one at Sam’s Club and they almost bought it then–but didn’t. Then they were going to go back–but didn’t. We were on pins and needles as they told that little story. We also gave them a set of no sugar added jams from American Spoon Foods. When his mom first opened the box she said, “Oh, we’re not going to lose any weight again till the fall.” And we were like, “No problemo mamacita! This is no sugar added.” And then it was group hug time. My aunt Zen called the apartment at 5:53 am and woke everyone up. She wasn’t even apologetic. She told me about all the little tricks she played on her kids for Christmas. Things like wrapping a Carhart jacket for the 13 year old daughter that asked for a huge list of CD’s and hiding the Gameboy SP for one son in the huge pile of presents for another son. I didn’t even know what a Gameboy SP was. And she was telling me about how she didn’t know that in Sims you could command the people to pick up hookers and stuff but all the kids have been playing it for so long now that…oh well they can just keep playing it.
Thank God it rained on Christmas. I think it was his way of trying to make me feel less homesick. Unfortunately it caused some deadly mudslides a little north of us. I don’t understand why those peope were out camping on Christmas in a place that was burned up by the fires with a weather report that called for lots of rain. Hmm. We went to Jenn and Les’s for Christmas dinner with her parents and her brother and sister-in-law. Her mom made cornbread dressing from scratch, gravy, ham, turkey, mashed sweet potatoes with cherry topping (yum!yum!), and green bean casserole. I took rolls. For dessert, way later, we had banana pudding, chocolate chip cookies, and pecan pie. They showed us how to play Mexican Train with dominoes. You know, I don’t know why it’s called Mexican Train instead of just train but anyway it was totally fun. All in all a really good Christmas.