Newscoma

I took a couple of days off and hung with the family. It was cool, there is no doubt, and I realized how blessed I am.

Not everything was wine and roses, mind you. We are talking about spending time with our families. There is usually that one comment that sends you over the edge, and then you realize it is YOUR family so you give them a pass and realize they aren’t acting out of character.

I received some really nice presents that I know I don’t deserve but it was really cool nonetheless. As Squirrel Queen has never had her own camera, I gave her one hoping she will participate in 365 whole-heartedly this year. Her cameras are used for her job. Sometimes, you just need to have one of your own. She seemed to like it.

I think the most beautiful part of the Christmas holiday was the kids, Homer smiling a lot, Squeegee Monkey having a couple of cocktails and talking incessantly. He does that. He’s usually very quiet but you get a glass of Jura scotch in him and he goes on a marathon. The twins at Harris were given motorbikes. I, of course not understanding that going a million miles an hour on a small yet dangerous looking motorcycle thingamabob, don’t understand the whimsy of being a boy and almost had a heart attack. But then again, I pine for a turquiose colored Vespa, so I realized I needed to just watch them do their X-treme thing with a bit of hesitation and wonder.

Being nine-years-old without fear is really something. Of course, at this age, they don’t realize about odd things such as mortality and being reckless can sometimes come and bite you in your ass.

A Wii was found and played by everyone but me. I was too tired, there wasn’t a controller available and it looks suspiciously like hard work.

Cuppa will be happy to know I got a Buffy comic book. Woot. Smiley, of course, will make fun of me for my excitement of this.

The movie “Hairspray” is also now in my home. I had not seen the movie although I did see the stage production in Memphis a few years ago, and the nieces seem quite smitten with it. Of course, my love of Christopher Walken was evident, which the nieces called him an old dude. I, of course, received Kung Fu Hustle. Woot. I’ll watch it later when the kiddies are away. I also received an I-Pod Shuffle. It’s green. I have no idea how to use it but I’ll learn.

The nice thing is giving folks stuff. Squirrel Queen’s mother is an outdoor sort of person and Santa left her a copper fire pit in her backyard. You would have thought we had just given her a Tiffany diamond. I mean, Santa gave her one. Whoops.

Also, the hardest thing is the youngest niece is figuring out about Santa. I noticed the whole thing displayed on her face. She whispered to her mother. She went from a look of recognition to sadness to resignation. It was heartbreaking.

As for me, back to work. I had a few days off (of course I received bookoos of phone calls. Does that count as a vacation day? I think not, but what the hell) and I’m looking forward to getting back into my regular routine of work and job hunting.

But, with all of it said I have two lines of thought. The first one is that it’s really nice to be with family and friends that understand you. It really is. One the other hand, I’m kinda glad it’s over.