Christmas is Coming!

I'm in recovery from a CRAPPY weekend. Mostly crappy because of my grumpiness. Friday was overbooked and understaffed. I felt pulled in a thousand directions. Never unsafe, simply mediocere. So after my patient goes to surgery, I ask "Is somebody going to do my baby?" The answer was not "yes." I got just a touch testy, but I did get some help. Saturday I worked on the post-partum floor with nice patients, but the environment is not the most familiar. So I run around twice as much trying to find paperwork, supplies, and patient goodies. It didn't help that my normal L&D team were upstairs reading the paper, surfing the net, gossiping, and enjoying chocolate that I didn't know about. More grumpiness. The Sunday, grumpiness simply remained. But at least there was birthday cake to look forward to! After work, Kevin and I celebrated Tim's birthday with white chocolate birthday cheesecake. Yum-mo! Like a good yuppy couple, Kevin and I gave Tim the present that gives back: A Starbucks gift card. And grumpiness gone, shattered in the face of sugar.

So today I worked on Christmas chores like a good holiday soldier. I have cute new flannel sheets on the bed. I bought the rest of my presents. We have enough food in the house until we head south for CHRISTMAS! Kevin, the lucky dog, is on holiday for the rest of the week. He's heading to Jay and Chenoah's house for a few days. And he's taking the dogs with him! I'm really going to miss my puppies. After two days at work, I'll join him at Mom's house. My grandparents fly in on Thursday. I haven't seen them since my dad passed away several years ago, and I'm really looking forward to a more joyful visit. They are a RIOT. We'll play games and cards. Grandma will listen to the TV way too loud, and Grandpa will drink horrible beer. Try as we might, we cannot convince him to drink real bear in the Pacific Northwest. He drinks Coors. I'm crying as I type, and that is my excuse for typos.

We did have a fun Christmas splurge last Thursday. I discovered by chance "The SantaLand Diaries" by David Sedaris, performed at Vin Grotto by our lovely friend, Jason Ganwich! For only $5! He's doing shows this Thursday and Friday, so anybody in the Tacoma area should try to see it. The price can't be beat, it's an easy holiday commitment at 55 minutes, and the ticket costs go directly to the artist. Please go see Jason, he's wonderful!

Finally, a stroke of very good fortune. Kevin's cousin, the gorgeous Christina, married her hot-and-hunky British boyfriend, Tristan, on the beaches of Mexico this summer. But the rest of us are invited to a rocking party this February in Arizon to celebrate. Thinking time was too short, we dispaired of using our frequent flyer miles. We've been sitting on these suckers for years. We thought we'd use them for Ireland, but no such luck. But we figured, what the hell, let's give it a shot for Arizona. So we are flying FIRST CLASS BABY YEAH! For ten bucks and 80,000 miles. So brilliant. Kevin said, "That's good, we can use that four hundred dollars to ..... (pause: my split second of panic, the word no springing to my lips) ....fix your car."

Oh yeah. Good idea.

And now my puppies are sharing Danica's bed in the computer room. Awwww.