It's been a hectic but relaxing few days. Let's see here...
My sister's family has been snagged from the burgh-port and delivered to Altoona (after mother put us to work here at my place getting the TV moved and all of the connections to peripherals functioning).

My last three older windows have been replaced - and I am excited for the nice weather to enjoy a nice draft in my bedroom without worrying about not having screens.

Most of the gifts are opened, and I made out like a bandit *again* this year. Movies, books, CDs, Ladybug goodies for the kitchen, and quality time spent with friends and family with a few more of these times set or pending on the horizon.

Scheduled additional ink... woohoo!

Saw "I am Legend" - enjoyed it, but bawled a good bit. If you've seen it, you know where and why. I also got to watch one of my new DVDs in my living room, it's a nice feeling to be back in there - perhaps motivation to get in there today and get some things on the walls and start working on finishing touches?

I forgot the rant I wanted to include yesterday, so here goes. I understand that everyone deserves Christmas eve off and should get to go home to their families. HOWEVER, if your business' telephone answering machine tells people you're open "today" until 9pm or 10pm then you really shouldn't be closing at 6pm. Seriously, are companies that inept that they can't fix the automated system for the changed closing time? This peeved me a bit at Barnes and Noble on Tuesday, but it really chapped my ass with PetCo when I realized at 6:05 that there was none of Danika's food at mom's place and I needed to locate somewhere that was still opened that carried it. I did find her food (at Kmart, who would have guessed) so at least that potential catastrophe was averted.

Last night I again dreamt of the ex... quite a bit. It's been 5 years since you ruined Christmas (and Valentine's day) so get the hell out of my head.

Christmas is almost over... I didn't open a single present today however, as I want to wait until my sister's family gets in for all that stuff. The girls did get to open their presents however, now that we've returned from visiting my mom, so the house is full of squeaks, rattles, and wagging tails. Mom still made a ton of grub today - no worries!

It's hockey night... but here I am sitting at home. I don't know why exactly. My throat started getting sore again last night and swallowing was not pleasant all night. I stayed in bed all day and showered with just enough time to get to the War Memorial, but still here I sit. I truly don't know why I have zero desire to go. The game yesterday felt more like work or an obligation than anything else. 45 minutes til the game starts and I still haven't decided if I am going to move. Anyone feel like placing bets?

I have the itch... all I want for Christmas is some new ink. I know 90% of what I want done. There will be some additions to the leaves on my back and a new entity on the back of my neck. While I get frustrated that I can't really see my leaves as is... the back is the best/safest place to put tats with the least chance of stretching them all to hell and back as I lose/gain weight and keeping them hidden if need be. I would still love to get my 13 in there somehow, but I can't come up with a way to make this part of the whole where it won't just look like a random addition or out of place. Any ideas?

I came home (late) this evening from work with every intention of getting my damn sprocs to compile and crashing out for a while, with just a smidgen of guilt for not planning on working in the living room... and it quickly became a trip for wings at the Orchard and off to the Corners for a drink... which quickly became several drinks when the guy across the bar bought multiple rounds.

Actually, I also fully intended a rant here when I finished opening my mail... but even that is soothed. I will however highlight the topic: The plethora of people who have selected not the every day holiday card but instead photos of their happy frickin family masquerading as cards to send and smear in my face.

I did submit final grades however, so the last "work" before Christmas is done. I can chill a bit. That in and of itself is quite soothing.

Since my last post, the entertainment center has been obtained and put in place. I still need to get the electronics set up. The major delay there is getting slave labor to help move the TV back into the room and to heave it up onto the stand. Most of my DVDs fit in the new entertainment center, which now leads me to need a CD tower of some sort.

Despite another boomer and a bout with a raw throat I still managed to make pretty good progress in the living room. The curtains are wrinkly but hanging, the couches and papasan are in place, the bookshelves are constructed and in place, the Christmas tree is up with presents bulging out from underneath, the decorations are coming out of the boxes for placement, the wireless card is functioning at home, the kitchen table is back in place, and I even made banana bread! *yum*

The last two Christmas gifts should be arriving from Amazon in the next 24 hours or so, so I am - somehow - actually ready for Christmas with a week to spare! Of course I still have final exams and final grades to complete in the next couple days, so I am not off the hook yet. There truly is no rest for the wicked.

Oh, and how is this for wacky, the place FINALLY called about the last three windows that I ordered months ago. Why do they wait until there is snow on the ground and frigid temps before they want to rip three huge holes in my wall to replace windows?! Grr.

Naughty little Durango. Not sure if I mentioned realizing that the air conditioning wasn't very "conditiony" at the end of this past summer. Turns out she needs a new compressor too. Thank GOD for extended warranties. I wonder how much will rot out on Drake through the winter while I am busy doting on Autumn. At least I'll have her back tonight so I can go get my entertainment center and make more progress putting the living room into a functional order this weekend.

Clearly the Durango was feeling neglected and wanted a Christmas present too... now she's getting new rear brakes, rotors, etc. Naughty girl. I guess the book was right - rusted and crumbling would easily surmount to "imminent brake failure".

Had a blast at the club Christmas party this year... if for no other reason than the fact that I was sought out many times (despite those luring the seeker away repeatedly) and I didn't get that stomach in my throat uptightness. I think I am well on my way to over it! I'll still adore, but in a different way.

I wasn't too sure about the carpet, but now that I got it vacuumed (fluffed) I am sure I did good again. Now for trim. Again I am a bit paralyzed. At least I can do some cleaning additional dust and hunting for the leather polish to get the couches back in the room. Oh, and put together the new bookshelves etc. Plenty still to do before the tree can find its place with the gifts underneath. Time to get to it!

I am back, have been since late afternoon Saturday. Got the girls immediately and headed home and started through the post vaca wrap up (unpacking, going through mail, laundry, yadda yadda).

A few other things from my vaca that deserve a bit of a rant or discussion:
1). Woman w/ the chuckie car: I know I do NOT want to cut this chic off. I saw the chuckie doll looking up over the dash from the passenger side when she was behind me and the bride of chuckie doll hanging out the rear passenger window when she passed me. The huge "wanna play" sticker on the back window was the finishing touch.

2). Big butt mannequins: It's well known that the population as a whole thinks women should be obscenely skinny and they use unrealistic mannequins. Ok, even in the stores that are more targeted towards blacks as opposed to whites have obscenely thin mannequins in the windows, but they have bigger butts. How damn funny is that? I do have ghetto booty, so I am allowed to talk about these things. I love it!

3). Santa vs. Jesus: While in the Shake and Stake I sat near a mom, her two kids, and the grandmother. The mother used the threat of Santa for a half an hour straight to get the kids to behave. Ok, this is a common act for parents desperate for a moment's peace, but it made me giggle. Why? Because recently I told the "make the baby Jesus cry" story to a friend. Why is it that I find my relatives telling their grandchildren that their acts are making the baby Jesus cry so damn funny but yet the threat of Santa's opinion is commonplace. Isn't that a bit backwards?!

Today I made a run to Wolfs and picked out a new TV/Entertainment center. The one I have now is just way too huge for the living room and out of place. With the room ready to come together this week it just felt like a good idea.

I so could have spent another full day at the Concord Mills mall... woohoo Charlotte. Today's chain was Steak and Shake. I ate a steak sammie at a little place under the arena before the game, but it was unremarkable.

The Chiefs pulled one out for me and beat the Checkers tonight. At least I can go home knowing we're bringing back some points. Going home means I have to get up hella early tomorrow, so g'night!

The past few nights have had quite a few odd dreams: One popping red see through bubbles that were suppose to be spirits of some sort that were troubling my mother. This inturn enraged this little monster creature that appeared right as my alarm went off. Another where I was in a rush, sorting through awful clothes looking for something I was willing to put on. Mostly however they are, once again, dreams with my ex in them. What are you Jean-Claude to my Anita? Get the hell out of my dreams once and for all! In most all cases when I dream of him he is still with his whore but is trying to talk to me or in the process of moving out or back in. Some of the conversations leave me swearing he is trying to tell me something or get comfort from me. Out, out, damned spot. If only I could go back in time perhaps I would be more able to share Lady MacBeth's thoughts on a more personal level.

I stuck around in Columbia today and did a little more shopping. I managed to find a place that had a Christian Dior counter and got to sniff the latest Poison variation. Love it! So now I have added Midnight Poison to my collection. If only I could get rid of all the other little scents I've been using and dwindle down to just Pure Poison and Midnight Poison I think I'd be happy - closer to having a signature scent than I ever dreamt I could be. Today's menu included Olive Garden and Baskin Robbins *yea!*

Time to lounge around a bit and read.

I'm back bitches... since La Quinta offers free highspeed, but only wireless - I bit the bullet and hit up Walmart for a card. I needed to do so anyhow. Hopefully this one will work as expected with the home set up as well. Anyhow...

So today I got moving out of Augusta after snagging some Sonic *yum* for lunch. I know it is my own "rules" that one is not to go to chains when vaca-ing, but Beff said I am allowed to break the rules, so I modified them - I'll hit chains we don't have, which works out quite well. For dinner tonight in Columbia I offered up a tribute to Slips by stopping at IHOP on the way to the arena. The amusing thing to me is how very much like Augusta it is here in Columbia the same places all clustered around the hotel. Ok, not AS close, but still - same establishments.

Another bit of a smackdown on the ice tonight we were up by 2 and then... I dunno what happened just clusterfrell. Earlier in the afternoon I was all about the malls, both the open air one that reminded me of a newer mall that opened in Durham before I moved back north and a traditional mall (that had a Fredericks *cheer*). Tomorrow is a day "off" so we'll see what I come up with!

Assbeating. 8-2. Ouch. Rowe swayed off the ice with the assist of several others during the first leaving behind blood - I can only assume he split back open the cut above his nose. I did get to partake in the confetti that the Lynx fans toss after each of their goals. The arena was fairly empty (weeknight game) so one fan club member I had spoke to earlier made a special trip down the stairs to shower me with confetti and shake my hand at the end of the evening. Incidentally, the arena was easy to find, despite Rita and my delightful grub and stuffed tummy.

Left LBE bright and early. First flight was a little late, but the second from Detroit to Charlotte was early. I slept like crap last night, which had me dozing off instead of reading, as I had intended, on the second flight. Let me say: Detroit's airport is a bit odd – not only do they have the ppl movers but they also have a tram and this very strange hallway with lights and music. I almost ate at "Slapshots" in the Detroit airport but then paused and shivered at the thought of the Red Wings.

Coming into Charlotte I couldn't help but pine for the Carolinas. I really do love it there. I can't even completely put my finger on it. There was a bit of a backup getting the rental car. I counted myself blessed when they didn't pull up with a soccer-mom-mobile, but I quickly realized I still got shafted… no CD player. WTF!

At first I thought it might not be that bad since I am no longer in the hills of shitty reception known as PA, at least that was until I clicked through endless Christmas music, Mexican fiesta tunes, and uber-twangy country stations. I settled on a sappy station with a ton of old love songs… what a great drive. *shoves finger down throat* I made the best of it and sang along with all my might. This crappy little Aveo has good acoustics if nothing else. Oh, I also laughed so hard I almost wrecked when the weather announcer mentioned it was a bit "chilly" today outside of Charlotte… 57 degrees is not chilly! I made the drive further south past Columbia and to Augusta in good time. I will also note that it is quite apparent when you leave the Carolinas and cross into Georgia. Blah.

Because I'm a slacker that never got my wireless up and kicking on the laptop I am sans a connection here at the Augusta LaQuinta, but that's okay. I'll be busy scarfing at the Outback and hitting the game tonight – that is if Pecos and Rita don't prevent me from navigating in the right direction!

Ok, the past 22 hours have gone so incredibly... s l o w.

I woke up at least 20 times last night. I am such a retard when it comes to vaca. I get so strung up I am like a child on Christmas eve. But I did rest well. After finally getting up and getting gathered I headed out a bit earlier than originally planned since we finally got enough snow to nasty up the roads a wee bit - oh, and to halt LBE. Boo! Thank goodness I always plan some buffer time into my itineraries. I should be to my final destination with plenty of time to make the drive and get to the game on time.

As it stands right now, I can't believe it's only a bit after 8, it feels so much later. I would have hung out later where I went to grub some dinner but the lackluster service left me wanting my own company.

One comment I neglected to make was with regard to someone being rather nice to everyone lately - even offering favors up for my travels. Gladly, this gal already bought what I need... because holding my breath would likely result in me passing out.

Still nothing profound, but plenty to babble about as I've been pretty busy the past few days. So starts the vaca. I have so been looking forward to a little bit of time off. Saturday morning I got up early enough to take the girls to camp and head the rest of the way to the Westmoreland mall and Burlington. Sure, I wanted to get the last three christmas gifts I need to buy but I ended up coming back with several things for myself and a cute little coat for Danika, since I still don't think she has enough fur for the snow when it finally comes.

From there back past Stahlstown to Seven Springs for work's party. Yes, I drank. Wow. My friends once again earn there love and dedication points for the year. In the past I always snagged an upper manager or two and made them dance. This year, I have photographic evidence of it, but don't really recall that part. At least I slept well. No Mork, I wasn't dead... not that it would have disturbed YOUR REST! :P I have plenty of fresh bruises from what I imagine was a really fun stumble back to the rooms.

Back to Jingletown and all I wanted was a nap, which I got... so cozy. I guess when vaca is done I'll be able to collect my tip (cow or traditional) for delivering pizza, mail, and red death flavor NyQuil. For now, more sleep.