The Post-Christmas Post

Howdy everyone.  A little holiday recap for you all…

Christmas was great.  I enjoyed some downtime, reasonable weather and a lot of quality time with the family types.

And now, some abstract math:  AirTran + Bad Weather = the movie Cloverfield.  I was supposed to be home at 4:00 Saturday afternoon.  Finally touched down in LGA at 7:00PM Sunday.  Wasn’t all bad though.  Got to spend an extra night with my parents. 

Upon getting back to my apartment, I was a little more than miffed to find the cable and internet on the fritz.  The customer service representative was unable to figure out what the problem was, so they are sending someone out to the apartment.  On FRIDAY.  So I get to spend a few days without internet or cable television.  It’s an inconvenience, but then again this could be a good thing.  Sort of an unintentional fast.  Besides, compared to the problems I could be having, in the grand scheme of things missing House really isn’t the end of the world.

I finished reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown on the way home yesterday.  Really great book.  I hope the movie does it justice.  I’ll start on The Da Vinci  Code pretty soon.

I’m also about 3/4 through the original Watchmen graphic novel.  Interesting is the shortest way I can describe it so far.  Again, I’m looking forward to the movie and hope it lives up to the hype.

This will be my first New Year’s in the city and I’m really excited.  I’ll be welcoming 2009 at a party with some friends (because short of a date with Megan Fox, nothing on earth could get me in Time Square at midnight).  I’ve been told they’ll have some of those little pull-string popper thingys.  That’s pretty much my main reason for going lol.

That’ll do for now.  I hope the holidays have been good to everyone else too.  Have a fun and safe New Year’s Eve.

God Bless!!

Blogging Around the Christmas Tree

Well gang, the holidays are upon us.  Time to dig up the old Christmas albums, bring foliage inside and put the lights on the outside, and of course it’s time to start checking the cable guides for all the 1960’s stop motion animation we can find.  Personally, I’m more a fan of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the one animated by Chuck Jones and narrated by Boris Karloff).  And maybe we can spread a bit of peace on earth and goodwill toward men if we can find time.  Oops, I mean goodwill toward persons of indiscriminate sex.  Gotta be PC during the holidays you know.

I love the holidays.  I spent about an hour on iTunes Sunday tracking down all the old Christmas songs my family listened to when I was young .  And to be honest, I never really stopped listening to them.  The Hat I Got for Christmas is Too Beeg will always make me laugh.   And if you know who Yogi Yorgesson is, well you’re awesome in my book.  Also this weekend we got our tree and most of the decorating done. 

I’m really looking forward to some time off from work and to be back in Texas with my family for a while.  I miss them all a lot, but that’s easily remedied by my love of holidays here in the city.  There’s really nothing quite like it.  If you can deal with the throngs of crazed tourists, it’s definitely worth the trouble to take a late night stroll down 5th Ave and through Bryant Park.

I hope you’re enjoying the holiday season as much as I am so far.  Like we try to remind ourselves every year, don’t get too wrapped up in presents, schedules and parties.  Take a moment every now and again and remind yourself why you celebrate your holiday of choice (and be thankful that you have the right to do so).  It’s a bit cliche, but the best presents really can’t be bought. 

Now let’s party!!

- J

People rock.

My body is at work but my mind is 1500 miles away. My eyes are pointing at a computer screen with numbers and billing information, but they see my niece, my friends and all the food I’ll be eating in a weeks time.

I’m so ready to go home!!!!

I love this city, don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled I moved here and I’m loving nearly every minute of it. But I’m still transitioning and really feeling how much I miss everyone back home. The holiday season has a lot to do with that.

But God bless my family and my friends. From way down there in TX they have managed to make my Christmas as wonderful for me as it would be if I were there.
My mother is so great. She sent me 2 huge boxes with wrapped Christmas presents with specific instructions not to open them till Christmas morning (except for the one I get to open on Christmas Eve) because, “No way I’m going to be alone on Christmas morning and not have anything to open.” I can’t decide what’s sweeter, her or her homemade fudge.
My friends Cassie and Kyleen conspired to make me have Christmas decorations whether I wanted them or not. My roommate went home for the holidays and so I have the place to myself. I’ve only been in my apartment for 3 months and just didn’t see the point. But Kyleen still shows up at my door with sacks full of Christmas decorations and decks my room out with lights, wrapping paper and the cutest little tree ever. Not many decorations for it though. But that’s alright cause a few days later what shows up in my mail?? A box full of homemade decorations for that tree. A bobble-head angel made out of a dr pepper can, 8 feet of garland made of fishing wire and beer bottle caps, and assorted ornaments to correspond with inside jokes. My room is amazing and so are my friends. I wasn’t excited about Christmas at all till I saw that tree light up. Now today I came to work with a business suit and a Santa hat.
So I go from just having a three day weekend ahead of me to feeling like a 10 year old on Christmas Eve unable to stand the wait to open my presents under my tree. Christmas is great, but having unexpected Christmas is so much cooler.

I hope you’ll all forgive my sappiness and that you all have an amazing Holiday season.

Ho ho ho etc etc etc

J