Christmas greetings

Hey Amigos!

Sorry for being so silent. I had hoped to actually have an update last week, but I took a day off in there, and then work was closed due to snow (there's nothing quite like hearing your place of employment is closed due to weather...nothing compares). Then I was outside freezing and shovelling and snow blowing. And actually, I don't like blogging on my home computer. I don't type as quickly. So, there you are.

Things have been good. The losing has been going quite well! I had a gain two weeks ago, but hit it out of the park last week and made it up and then some.

Now it's getting challenging. I came in to work today and there was a tin of cookies, 2 bags of candy and a container of Godiva chocolate covered almonds. DARK chocolate covered almonds...aahhhhrrrrrrgggghhhhh...all left on my chair.

This is all just for ME. Bless them all for making me something, and I really am grateful, but it's not easy. So far I've eaten 3 cookies and a piece of fudge. I must stop now or all will be lost! Well, not all, of course. But it won't be good. Nope. Not good.

Did lots of snow removal this weekend. My snowblower worked like a charm. I feel like a badass with it, it's so big, red and loud. I start walking around like I own the place. I can't believe how great my neighbors all are. Seriously. I made one pathetic run down my driveway (my long, long, long driveway) then started to open up the end of the driveway. While my back was turned, what happened? 3 of my neighbors got together and shovelled my entire driveway. I did one path down it, and they did the rest. And they shovelled, not blew. I tell you, I nearly cried. That's how my neighborhood is. I'm usually up too late to be of much help, but this time I was able to help because the damn plows kept shoving all the snow back, all the way up to the sidewalks!

It was really amazing.

I guess I'm done Christmas shopping. I have this feeling I'm neglecting something or someone. I actually did wrapping yesterday. Wrapping is one of those things that takes 8 times longer than I think it will, so I figured I'd do it early. So I'm essentially ready. I don't know, I'm not too enthused about the stuff I'm giving. I was at the time, but when you sit back and look at it, I don't know.

I really do love Christmas. It's usually such a happy occasion, and I honestly do love giving people things. Receiving is great, but the giving...I love the giving. I love finding the perfect gift for someone, and then I have to restrain myself from telling them because I'm so excited for them to get it. And I LOVE giving my nephew stuff! He's so cute! I love Christmas music (of my choosing). And the food and egg nog and just the getting together and hanging out. Christmas eve I'll be with my whole family. Christmas day my mom and sister and I have a tradition. We were all so sad the year my dad died, we wanted to shake things up for Christmas. So, what did we do? We went to the movies! I'll never forget it. The year dad died we went to see The Talented Mr. Ripley at a deluxe theater, and we had dinner there. It was such a nice day, and breaking from what we usually did kept our spirits up.

So, we've done that every year since. Some movies have been very good (Curse of the Were-Rabbit), some stunk (Castaway...that movie was just torturous...we're much more careful about what we go to see since that one), but it's always fun. This year we think we've settled on Frost/Nixon. My mother and I are both huge Frank Langella fans. Strange, I know, but true. Come on, the guy's a dish. Maybe not as Nixon so much...

Then after the movie we usually go to our favorite Indian restaurant. Altogether it makes for a most excellent day.

In the time it took me to write this post I also ate 3 Hershey kisses. This madness must stop...