I went grocery shopping during the day. Then I had to work from 6 PM to 7 AM this morning. We were SLAMMED until 2 AM and between the hours of 1 and 2 we euthanized 4 patients. I felt really bad for those families. Losing a pet on Christmas sucks!
I crave an art that passionately transcends the mundane instead of being a device for self-deception.–Griffin, from The Griffin and Sabine trilogy.
Got up and spent some time doing up bills and such, then my Dad called from about an hour away, said that he and our youngest daughter would be back from their week long trip (he’s a truck driver) to PA, Saint Louis, NYC and back.
Dad said that they hadn’t had anything to eat yet, so we picked up some breakfast stuff and headed over to Mom and Dad’s place, and had breakfast with them.
Then watched the COwboys lose, waited for our older daughter top get home from the waitress job, then opened our presents.
Then we watched Notting Hill, which wasn’t too bad, being as how I’m not a girl.
Then I went to bed, everybody else stayed up doing I don’t know what, now I’m up messing about on this board and they are all sleeping.
But that’s how we like it!
Hmm, lessee.
Took a baby bunny over to one of my husband’s student’s homes, and practiced my Spanish a little bit with the kid’s mom.
Came home and worked on Christmas cookies – Youngest Son was concerned that there be fresh cookies to leave out for Santa. Wrapped presents. Had company in and out, in and out.
My best friend is gay, male and Jewish. He has spent Christmas Eve with us 14 of the 15 Christmases Eldest Son has been alive. He helps wrap. For the last two years his partner comes too, and we have a grand time. The kids love both “Uncle Larry and Juan.”
After dinner, we went out driving around looking at lights and singing Christmas carols. I sing at church, and had to be there at 9 p.m. for a 10:30 concert and 11:00 service. Got home about 12:30 and finished getting stuff under the tree. Got to bed around 1:30 – and Youngest Son was bouncing on the bed at 6:30 a.m.
It’s been a fun couple of days! Happy winter holiday to you all!
-Melin
Nothin’ much 
Ho,Ho,Ho,
Santa
I worked voluntary OT from 6:30 AM until 2:30 PM (it flew by, only eight hours!).
Then I hung at the house for a few hours, talking on the phone, mainly.
then I went to a party with some of my co workers. Most of the people there are from Ghana (African party), so we had reggee music playing; goat skewers, chicken and rice, and chicken and pork to eat; and plenty of dancing.
I found out that goat isn’t half bad. It tastes kind of like a chewy beef fajita.
It was a great party: I knew most of the people there, and I felt safe. There was no fighting, no drugs, not even that much alchohol (no puking or drunk driving).
Not very Christmasy, but a lot of fun.
You say “cheesy” like that’s a BAD thing.
I worked during the day. But for the evening we had the folks from work who couldn’t go home for Christmas over for dinner. Fed them wine and beer and played many rolicksome hands of cards.
Not much. Wrapped a few gifts, watched all the Rankin/Bass specials I could find, (and the Grinch, of course), and tried to impart to my daughter that no matter what, Santa wasn’t coming until after she went to sleep. It wasn’t boring, though. I love the feeling of anticipation that carries throughout the whole day. When we were little, my brother and I would wake up yelling, “Yay! It’s Christmas!” or something like that, like most little kids do. I don’t yell that anymore…but I always wake up with that thought in my head. 
I know I’m late replying to this, but I just wanted to mention: The highlight of Xmas eve was Mr. Rilch and I racing around Albertsons, five minutes before closing, like Supermarket Sweep. We hadn’t been able to get there earlier because we’d been visiting friends in Irvine. We had to settle for a precooked ham, and paid way too much for the potatoes, because there were no sacks, only loose ones, but we got everything. I’ll tell about the dinner and the gifts in another thread.
Remember, I’m pulling for you; we’re all in this together.
—Red Green
Went to the mall with Hubby and son to mock the last minute shoppers. Walked around for about an hour, had lunch, went home for a nap and then went for the yearly Let’s Suffer From Boredom and extraordinarily crappy gifts from Shirley’s family tradition. I was so depressed while sitting there I felt like it was Groundhog’s Day.
A completely out-of-context C&P from kelli’s comments:
and
and
So, any one think there’s more to this story?
Easy one-step assembly instructions.
Pour Beer A in Uncle B.
Took Love Interest #2 (probably ought to change that number) out to lunch, then took her irresponsible (although amazingly yummy) ass out to the mall to do her Christmas shopping. Was pleasantly surprised that there were next to no crowds there.
Then dropped her off, headed over to the first of three family holiday gatherings, ate restaurant-bought fried chicken and home-made mashed potatoes with milk gravy. Won about $2.50 from various family members in poker.
Overall, an enjoyable Christmas.
He weathered a firestorm of agony and did not break.
And while Yori raged against his unbending
courage, we took Kyuden Hiruma back.
His loss is great, but so is the gift his suffering brought.
-Yakamo’s Funeral
Hung out with my parents here in Phoenix; helped cook the humongous Christmas Eve dinner we then consumed; opened presents; went to church; drove around and looked at the lights. All in all, a very nice (if quiet) Christmas Eve – followed by an equally nice (and quiet) Christmas Day. Heading home and back to work tomorrow.
Jodi
Fiat Justitia
Finished Christmas shopping, took the kid to see Toy Story 2 again… then after he went to bed we set up the tree and stockings in the basement by the fireplace and wrapped all the presents.
–
Teeming Millions: http://fathom.org/teemingmillions
“Meat flaps, yellow!” - DrainBead, naked co-ed Twister chat
O p a l C a t
www.opalcat.com