Party Week, Day #2.5

So, back to the family Christmas party on Wednesday. I arrived with a headache and an attitude.

Okay, maybe I'm still in novel-writing mode. I did have a headache still. And I was totally stressed when I got home from work before the party. Part of it wast that I was bringing no food. Everything I like was already being made by someone except a few things which are totally not on anyone's diet--very high-carb things. Part of it was that I had no presents wrapped. Part of it was that I was feeling responsible for the timing of everything, even though I had the least powers in this regard. Also, I accidentally broke a glass when I turned on the water too hard. Fortunately it was not a favorite or important glass, but it did require a lot of clean-up time, because you know how glass gets absolutely everywhere. And the whole time I was wondering if Robin would get off work at a decent time.

So then I decided to just calm down and lower my expectations. I decided the hosts would be displeased no matter what I did, so I may as well not stress myself out trying. This is an exaggeration of reality, but sometimes exaggeration is what it takes to get me to do the right thing.

So I didn't wrap the presents; I just stuck them in a big paper bag, knowing people would be pissed off that they went to the trouble of wrapping gifts, but apparently I couldn't be bothered. I did remember all the gifts, though.

And I never did think of anything to bring to add to dinner. I only brought my favorite Christmas mug. It has Santa gleefully dancing around the Christmas tree.

When Robin did get home, I helped him as much as I could, and stayed out of his way as much as I could otherwise. Then I let Robin drive because he drives faster.

When I got there, right away T. is all asking how I'm doing and if I'm okay. D. gives me a big fluffy warm jacket thing to wear. I stay out of the way while others are finishing up dinner, until I am commanded to tear up some more bread for the stuffing.

Dinner is delicious and there is way too much and there is even plenty of stuff I like even without any carbs but the stuffing. Oh, and the plum cobbler. Talk about your family heirlooms. The bread part of the cobbler was made from a family recipe. And the plum filling for the cobbler had been canned by D's mother herself many years ago. D's mother has been dead for years now, so it's so cool that she helped prepare part of our dinner from beyond the grave. The siblings all agreed it tasted just like Mom's.

Then we all passed out presents. Since mine were unwrapped, they all got to see what they got from me first. But it was just fine. I still want to wrap them next time, though.

I got a cheese cutter very much like D's that I have been admiring. Both consist of a cutting board with a wire cheese cutter attached to it. Mine also has one of those cake-cover-looking things--a glass lid to put over the cheese you aren't using right then to help keep it from drying out. I am using it at every party I ever have from now on. I know I'll always be serving cheese because one of my friends always feels a little disappointed when there's no cheese at a party. And it's just the coolest cheese-serving thingy of all time. We haven't decided where we can possibly fit it yet, but we will figure something out.

I also got hair sticks. I have long hair, so I am the type who should be able to use them. However, I have never figured out how to get them to work. So D and I decided we need to get together and have a playing-with-each-other's hair party.

Robin got the whole season of "Firefly," which is totally awesome. We also got a two-person hammock, which we could actually put up if we ever build the screened-in porch we want to build onto the back of the house.

Their brother G. was visiting. He told us some interesting stories. For example, he told us that one of the reasons he's moving from El Salvador to Peru instead of trying for some place more to his liking is that this way he can avoid entering the pool of people chosen to go to Iraq next. He also said that the American military has an amazing medical presence in Iraq. This means that people who would normally be dying are being saved. He knows several people who are missing limbs.

And this house has carpeted stairs. And there is twice as long a run of carpeted stairs as is at my sister's house, so I tried them out, but from the near the bottom. First I sat on a step and stretched out my legs along the stairs. That just led to thumping down the stairs. Then I lied down on my back and tried again. This could be fun if you're the type who enjoys those really hard back rubs like almost everyone but me likes. Well, I'll still have to see how the kids are doing it.

Overall, it was a perfectly nice party, and everything went just fine, and it was good that I decided to stop stressing.

**

My favorite online journaller is starting two weeks of vacation. He doesn't have anything particularly special planned, but does plan to do something productive and something fun each day.

I also have a lot of vacation (a week and a day). I usually like to have a big project to do, though it's not always that easy because the stores that have interesting supplies are likely to be closed. I do like to have something to show for it after having so much time off. My best project was adding shelves to my pantry.

I have so many goals that I could really go overboard and end up not making much progress on anything. So I've decided to focus on two things. I think I'll get up with Robin and then after he leaves I'll spend an hour a day reorganizing things. I have a lot of piles of things, and I really should be able to fit all my clothes into my closet and dresser, for example. Also, some vegetable oil has leaked on one cabinet, and I've been putting off cleaning that up for much too long.

My other goal is to spend one hour a day cutting down trash trees and doing other annoying gardening. This kills two birds with one stone because that will also be exercise. I'd probably do this in the late afternoon when it's warmest.

I also still want to keep doing all the other things I'm trying to do--write journal entries, learn JavaScript and work on a JS book, brush my teeth and drink enough water daily, that sort of thing. I may also go to some lunchtime gym classes or something.

Robin's best friend has the same week off; we may try to meet up to see the kind of movie that we both like but that Robin doesn't. It's hard to think of such a movie, but we decided something overly heartwarming, especially if it were based on a true story, might fit the bill.