Christmas of the Living Dead

It's Christmas! I survived yet another trip through the "we hate life and are going to take you out as well" state of Maryland to return to my parents' home in western PA. We had dinner with my cousins and their 4-year-old, who plays fetch, then I went for hot warm beverages at Eat n' Park with a friend from high school who recently got married. He and his wife spent the holiday with their respective families because they didn't see them over Thanksgiving. And let me tell you, it was a little odd to hear one of the most emotionally repressed guys I've ever met saying "I love you" on the phone to the woman he refers to as "my wife." I am thrilled for them! It's just going to take a little getting used to. ;)

Sunday was church, then breakfast with a young adult for whom I used to babysit, who for some reason looks up to me. Talk about pressure! After breakfast I did a little shopping. Later in the evening my parents and I went to Wal-Mart and emerged 45 minutes later to find a total blizzard outside. Christmas Snow!!!!! There was enough to cover everything and nearly white-out the road on the way home. It was so pretty and I felt like I was five again.

Monday was kitchen time helping Mom prepare for our huge family dinner, three course meal for sixteen people. It was amazing . . . my mother's cooking is truly like nothing else. We went to midnight mass and I really enjoyed the service. Sometimes, God just hits you the right way, and you "get" it.

Today we opened presents (I got a new laptop!) and visited our family friends in Ohio to watch their 3-year-old open her presents and run around being a princess all morning. It was exhausting and I slept the whole way home. Later was dinner at my Aunt's and now I'm just pulling everything together to head back to VA.

Tomorrow is a trip to the Outlets, lunch with my best friend, then goodbyes and my drive home.

A few stats from this Christmas:

Number of people asking if I have a significant other: 4

Alcohol units consumed: 5

Cookies eaten: at least 30

DVD gifts: 3 (South Park movie, American Beauty, and High Plains Drifter)

Money spent on gear that will be reimbursed by government: $406

Txt messages from non-family wishing me a Merry Christmas: 12

Of those, txts from guys I thought I'd never hear from again: 3

. . . which is why Christmas this year could be renamed "Holiday of the Living Dead." Ignoring them for the past two months appears to have worked. I even deleted one of them from my contacts and had to check the area code in the phone book to figure out who sent the txt. So now I don't know what a proper response is. I'm laying low for now, giving it at least a day and a drive home to consider.

Overall, a very Merry Christmas and a joyous one. Here's hoping those feelings can last for a long time.