postive tension

Finally. A moment to breathe. This is my one "off" night - but it's not really even that. Because as much as I'd just like to sit back with a couple of beers and catch up on Project Runway, I still have a lot to do.

Really the last three weeks of December always seem to be such a blur. Last night was ladeez night and we trekked to see "Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic." Loved it but the four people in the row in front of us didn't laugh at all. Not even once. Which led us to wonder why they didn't just leave...

Tomorrow is a funeral and then tomorrow night is the rock'n'roll holiday office party. Friday night is a birthday dinner. Saturday, of course, is New Year's Eve and we've received a few party invitations and have narrowed it down to one...one that promises to be small, intimate and casual fun. I need that right now.

I really can't wait until Sunday - I'm anticipating sleeping in, Zelda's pizza and maybe finally figuring out why my computer won't let me download the new iPod software so that I can set up my new Nano. Grrrr...not only is my other iPod completely dead - I probably need to send it in for a mercy killing - but I can't use the new one because the computer is acting wonky.

In any case...the holidays were maybe a tiny bit less stressful than last year's run-through - but not by much. What is it about family - no matter how much I love the lot of them - that sometimes just makes me grit my teeth and clench my hands into fists?

Still, I enjoyed various things: Giving our nephew a SpongeBob SquarePants jack-in-the-box and watching him laugh with delight every time (a million times) he cranked it up. Playing the Riff trivia game with Cory, my sister-in-law and my niece. Seeing my mom's delight when I opened my gift from her - a giant wooden owl (meant for the back yard) that she bought some place along Highway 101. Seeing Grandma Alice get all sniffy and teary when we watched the A Walk to Remember DVD that we bought her. Dropping off the boots, Disturbed CD and socks at the Sacramento Children's Home. A birthday morning watching the "Lazy Sunday" and "Christmas time with the Jews" clips and laughing loudly, by myself, at home while drinking coffee and generally trying to get over the fact that I am now thirty*cough*six...A great birthday outing with Kepi & Roach, Bobby & Claire, Becca & David....holiday lights. Christmas morning with Cory.

Anyway, as I was saying, tonight is my free night but I still have about 10 things to do, so I better get on it...