We Survived

fliss in her window
Originally uploaded by mygothlaundry

Christmas has come and gone for another year and actually it turned out to be a really nice one. Thank the gods. Santa came; there were presents under the tree and Pebble only partially unwrapped one of them. The kids got me a fabulous fancy kettle and jewelry and an iTunes gift card and I got them much wonderful stuff including bacon salt and, for M, a remote controlled tarantula. Pebble got a squeaking catnip mouse and both dogs got bones. For once, everyone really liked almost all their presents with the exception of the shiny shirt I got for A in a moment of K-Mart madness and the nice heavy shirt I got for M thinking that somehow, some way, he might wear a long sleeved shirt before his arms fall off from cold. And A got a red crockpot and a mirrored mobile and her brother gave her a beautiful pillow and a glass turtle, while M also got the coat he has been wanting which has built in speakers in the hood. We all took turns parading around the house wearing the coat and listening to the Pogues very loud, which was entertaining.

Then I made a big fancy dinner which would have been better if the risotto had actually been done at the same time as everything else - Cornish game hens, asparagus, green beans, chocolate cake - and the QOB and my brother B and D & A & R from Bat Cave came for dinner, as did Z & H.There was much merriment - enough merriment, actually, so I basically stayed in bed yesterday reading my way through my current terrible multi volume fantasy saga. Which was also nice and a good Christmas present - staying in bed all day has its perks although I'm thinking it might be getting to be time to replace my decade old futon.

This morning I took the dogs for a long hike at Bent Creek and now the week, this staycation week, looms ahead and perhaps I will finally get a whole lot of shit done. Or just stay in bed until I've finished these fucking terrible books and can take them to Downtown Books & News, which moment I am looking forward to with glee. They're awful - if I wanted to read a detailed and annoying saga of early Christianity and the fall of Charlemagne, I would do it without the thin veil of fantasy laid on top - but somehow I can't stop reading them. Oh well.

And yesterday I got a surprise present from an online friend and my metafilter secret Quonsar gift, all in one lovely swell foop from the postman who was too nice to raise his eyebrows at my Mighty Mouse pajamas. Yay Christmas and welcome, 2009, you cannot come soon enough.