Chris' Blog

Step Two: Fill Those Damned Bare Spots

The Christmas tree was 'fully lit' last night, as was I when I finished... which explains my 'Lies, Lies, LIES' piece.

Today, after recovering, I once more braved the chilly, but not completely CRAPPY weather that was yesterday. The cumulative IQ that I came across probably topped out somewhere around 100. And I was out for a couple of hours. Having nice weather definitely makes the whole experience MUCH better. I didn't address any woman using the 'C' word, nor did I attempt to push anyone in front of a speeding bus. I'd say it was a 6 on a 1-10.

After returning from shopping and hastily wrapping Dave's packages I pondered: "Should I actually DECORATE the tree this year?" Last year had minimal ornamentation, as we were both deathly ill the week before Christmas. And once it arrived I spent 4/5ths of it in the emergency room with an ear infection that although wasn't LIFE threatening, was incredibly painful and caused me to completely lose the hearing in my right ear. The highlight of my night was being patted on the back before I was released and told by the chirpy ER doctor, "sometimes you scratch the inside of your ear with a Q-tip or something... and it gets inflamed..."

Oh, was THAT why I could barely stand upright without getting nauseous from the pain? Jackass. Sorry, "Dr. Jackass."

Well, I had my 'revenge'. I had to return less than 12 hours later to the same ER, where I waited... oh, 4 hours before a doctor who actually KNEW what she was doing sent me upstairs for a CAT scan. Ok, it wasn't exactly revenge, so to speak, but at least I felt that I was receiving medical care at that point. Long story short, the tree didn't get decorated. And that's another story.

So, tonight I broke out with the boxes and boxes and boxes of 'Christmas Stuff', as it is labeled. Surprisingly the contents of these 'Christmas Boxes' are primarily packing material. I consolidated a lot of space. Please don't tell Dave. "I was SAVING that plastic bag!!!!"

Fast forward. The tree is fully decorated. And we are now doing shots of every kind of alcohol we have in the house out of our recently acquired 'ice shot glasses', which is really a freezer mold that you make your little shooters in. It's something that needs perfecting. We should have the kinks worked out by tomorrow.

Sambuca?

No, I'll pass.

Merry Christmas all........

Step One: It Puts the Lights on the Christmas Tree

I just returned from my friend Keith's birthday party, which he conveniently has each year ON his birthday, the 23rd of December. What would complete my evening? Getting the friggin' Christmas tree decorated would complete my #$%@!* evening.

I rarely venture into our 'storage space' in the basement, but there was no getting around it... that's where all the Christmas decorations are. Most of my college text books, my first computer, various pieces of old furniture, boxes of (Dave? What's in those boxes of yours?) and anything else we've been able to jam into the 4x8 space also call that area 'home.' All of it can be tossed in the garbage, except my Org Chem text book, that's a classic and GOES NOWHERE!

While lugging the festive red and green plastic crates upstairs I came to the conclusion that the only way I could possibly get through the process was to nip at some Bushmills, sorry honey, but you are out of town and not going to do anything to decorate this 12 foot arboreal intruder, so I have to cope.

More entries to follow .................

A 'Bad' Brother

Today was my brother Jym's birthday. Yeah, he really spells it that way. I'm not sure exactly why, but he's done it that way since before I was born, so I'm not questioning. And I usually try to call or write, or ... have I sent a card, ever? Don't know. But I generally TRY to get in touch with him. But this year I'm in a bit of a funk. It's one of those 'withdraw into a hole and pretend no one else exists' funks. This type of funk is especially easy to get away with when one's family lives 300+ miles away, some living farther.

I love my family.

I love that I live 300+ miles from them, or farther.

And please don't give me any lectures about appreciating my relatives or needing to be near them or any of that shit. Mileage makes for good relations, just like fences and neighbors. I prefer the 'drama-free' family.

No, mine isn't quite that. But it's pretty low-grade drama, like a spanish soap-opera. On second thought, no, it's not like that at all. Although I WOULD like to see my brother Tom dress in a bee suit every once in a while.

Compared to other families ours is cake.

And on that note, I'll say Happy Birthday Jym, yesterday, becuase I couldn't even get this posted ON your birthday, jeez.

I guess I AM a bad brother.

That Sinking Feeling

I'm sure you have had that feeling, while out, in public, you realize that there is someone in the room that for some reason or another you have just WRITTEN OUT OF YOUR LIFE and there is no need to revisit any of the history that precipitated it...

You walk away.

And don't look back.

Because that's what your sanity demands.

50g for a Stack of Linen Cloth?!

Sometimes I just can't face playing Wow anymore.

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