I honestly can’t wait until January 1 when I can leave the chocolate and the cake and all the other shitty foods I’m not supposed to eat behind! I think I’m going to try one of those cleansing diets after the New Year, where you only eat lemons and drink tea or something like that. I said “try!”

We met my brother and his fiance at the mall today for lunch and I totally caved. I think you know what I’m talking about.

Santa!

Yes, we waited in line like all the other idiots and placed our poor baby upon Santa’s lap.

The picture is hilarious. I’m going to scan it in sometime over the nest couple of days and you all can see for yourself.

Don’t you love getting Christmas packages in the mail? You know that sound they make as the FedEx guy drops the big cardboard box over your gate? I love it!

Last night we went to my stepson’s Christmas performance. It was great, but it’s just funny how every year it seems to get longer and longer. More songs, more lines, more prayers, more messages. Squid was loving it, rocking out to all the music. Then, as the night progressed and it started getting a little monotonous, Squid leaned back on me and uttered, “Ga-go.” I took that to mean, “Gotta go.”

“I hear you, baby.”

It finally wrapped up around 9 pm. Now the race is on. I have 4 days to finish knitting, sewing, wrapping and buying.

Scary.

This movie is adorable. I rented it last night. Keri Russell was so good in this; I actually didn’t expect it. Perfect chick flick.

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about celebration. You enjoy all the fun and fellowship that the holidays bring. You celebrate the holidays in a offbeat style. You believe the holidays are for doing whatever you feel like - and some of your “traditions” are pretty wacky. During the holidays, you like to feel cozy and comfortable. You’re happy to stay inside with a roaring fire and a warm drink. You think the holidays should be comforting and relaxing. You don’t like the holiday rush… you just like the simple pleasure of the holidays. Your favorite holiday memories strongly evoke your senses. You are vividly aware of all the tastes, smells, and sounds of the holidays.

This is completely appropriate.

I am into wacky traditions and staying at home with a hot drink. The roaring fire I could do with, as well. Too bad our flue is sealed up.

Last year I made a big deal about how creepy mall Santas are and how I would never subject Squid to posing with one. But then Easter rolled around and we were in the mall and Squid really was loving the Easter Bunny. So we did the photo. Now it’s Xmas again and all the malls have their Santas out, waiting and ready. I don’t know…should I go for it or not? I think it might be really cute to have, just so I could pull the photo out when Squid is 15 (eek!) and go, Tada! I know I would love to see a pic. of me when I was tiny posing with Santa, even if it was the worst photo ever.

Bird Flu is again an issue around the globe. Now it’s spreading and it’s scary, scary stuff. Pakistan is now seeing human infections of the virus. We still don’t know everything about Bird Flu or whether human-to-human transmission is possible, but we do know that those infected are in serious trouble. Avian Flu (or “Bird Flu”) is deadly. Indonesia has announced its 93rd death from the virus. There is now a free e-book available which you can register for here. It is filled with a ton of stuff you need to know, especially if traveling abroad is something you plan to do in the future.