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| My lil Christmas tree |
Yes, I said it... B I N G O. Bingo! Bingo is the best way to describe my holiday season of 2012. This year many things in my life changed and effected how the holiday season played out for me from the normal holiday season I have known in years past. This year for the first time I had to add college into the mix. Even with having school I really did get what I needed out of both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Let me explain more in detail so you know what I mean exactly. To do this I’m going to go back about a month or so and start from the beginning.
Actually, lets go further back than a month. Let’s got back to the first week of November. At this point I’m over half way done with my fall term at PCC. One thing that I’m learning about being in college is that the terms fly by very fast and my free time is very precious. In all the craziness of my schedule between school and work I still made an effort to put out my little artificial Christmas tree and decorated it so I could have it displayed in my bedroom. This is something I do every year in the first week of November and I know its a bit early for most people, but I have always loved Christmas and therefore Christmas always starts early for me. Its important for me to continue this tradition because as I have gotten older things in life like major holidays go by faster and faster. So, to get my proper fill of Christmas it is necessary for me to start early. This also includes playing Christmas music as soon as Halloween is over. It’s very sad to me that so many people cringe at the sound of any Christmas music and yet I enjoy it so very much. Usually people complain that the reason they don’t like Christmas music is because they have heard it played over and over and over during the holiday season. Well, I can guarantee that I have listen to Christmas music more than most people have and I still love it. I guess I’m just weird and I’m okay with that. So, the first part of my holiday season started as usual. However, the hard times came on the week before thanksgiving. This week is a very busy part of the year for me because I happen to work in retail AND the grocery business. It’s really a double whammy during the holiday season. It was a bit hard for me to fit anything in during that week. This lack of free time then caused me to not be able to contribute to the Thanksgiving feast as much as I had hoped. I did manage to make brussels sprouts because that didn’t require too much of my time and I love brussels sprouts anyway.
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| Thanksgiving 2012 |
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Yes, Even Elly gets a seat at
Thanksgiving. |
I had a lovely dinner with my family and was even joined by my Aunt Nat and her soon to be husband Pete again this year. Dinner was D-lish thanks to the hard work of mainly my sister and the rest of the family for bringing stuff to help out. We really work well as a unit when putting a gathering together thats for sure. My brother handled drinks again this year and did an excellent job. Thanksgiving dinner was calm and peaceful. For me the main problem I had was that I was just so tired both before the meal and after the meal that I really wasn’t all that lively. I mean I interacted with my family, but in many ways I was on auto pilot. We rounded off the night with some family bingo! What is it about bingo that is so much fun to play with your family? Well, for my family its a good game because it doesn’t take too much skill so in turn we can continue to talk and joke around with each other as we play. Also, my family is good at coming up with some cheesy & fun prizes to win. So, last year at Thanksgiving we played bingo as well so I guess it’s starting to become a tradition. My lovely aunt Nat took home most of the prizes during last years session of bingo. This year I was determined to change that. It took a lot of patients and sticking with one bingo card, but I did it. I ended up with 4 bingos. Oddly enough I don’t think that my aunt Nat even got a single bingo this year. Pete did however and maybe that was only because he was sitting next to me with the hot card! Funny how the three men at Thanksgiving were all at one end of the table both when eating and playing bingo. There was much said between us three and lots of laughing as well. So, glad Pete is going to officially join our family over this coming summer. So, after all the bingo prizes had been handed out we all said our goodbyes and gave each other some good hugs. When I was a kid it seemed like Thanksgiving and Christmas were so far apart. Now days it seems like Thanksgiving its just a brief warm up to Christmas and that I wasn’t really saying goodbye to my family so much as to say I will see you next week. After the thanksgiving festivities I got home and it was back to focusing on homework.
Fast forward for a brief second and here we are at the Christmas season. Which for me happened to be around the 13th of December when I took my last final. Everything else that I do for Christmas couldn’t start till my finals for the term were done. One of those important Christmas tasks was getting my real Christmas tree. For me getting the Christmas tree is usually as soon as I can after Thanksgiving is over. Unfortunately this year for me money was tight after Thanksgiving when I had the time to get the tree. Then as it moved into December I had the money, but because of finals I did not have the time. So, I ended up getting my tree the second weekend in December and all was well. This year I decided to do my blue and silver tree that I have always talked about. I think it turned out very nice I do have to say. It was also the first year that I went with all white lights. I felt quite accomplished with it once it was done and it felt wonderful to have it in my living room. The Christmas tree is one of my favorite parts of Christmas.
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| My big Christmas tree |
Some of the other things that I like to do during Christmas time is make sugar cookies. This year that didn’t really work out. It was during my attempt of making those sugar cookies that I realized that I was trying to do too much. Here I was out of school on holiday break and all I seemed to be doing with that extra time was going going going. So, I took a step back and let somethings go. I tried to let myself relax a bit and get some extra rest in. One thing I couldn’t skip however was my Christmas shopping. So there I was ten days (technically) that I had to get all the gifts I needed for Christmas Day. So, I called on my mom to help me out. She really came through and helped me quite a bit. We even got to have lunch together and just hangout. The real problem however was that I really only had two days to shop because as I would find out when going back into work after my weekend that I was scheduled to work seven days straight until Christmas Day. Yay me! *gives my wonderful cheesy smile*...did I mention that I didn’t get my normal days off either. Those weekend days that would have been perfect for Christmas since Christmas Day was on a Tuesday and I normally have Sunday/Monday off. NOPE! This is retail people and it doesn’t matter if you are working for the friendliest store in town if its a holiday and there is money to be made then you will be there. So I was. I will say though that by day five of my seven day stretch I was really starting to fade.
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On the first day of my holiday
break I got to see the midnight
showing of The Hobbit with
my brother, Erica, and Jason
Hooker.
So awesome! |
I think it is important to mention that even with the busy schedule I had for Christmas this year that I made some time to see some of my friends. Two of these friends I got to see live out of state. One of those friends I was able to squeeze in my schedule was a visit with my friend Kelly Murphy. I had also seen her around Thanksgiving time of this year as well. Reconnecting around Thanksgiving time seems to be the tradition with us. It’s kind of a running joke that when I would see her at Thanksgiving time that I would always tell her when saying goodbye that I will see her next Thanksgiving. When she came to see me at Christmas she brought me a waffle maker that apparently she had no need for. Something you may not know about me is that I have been trying to get myself to buy a waffle maker for myself over the last few years, but I just never had the extra money to buy one. She seemed happy to get rid of it because she didn’t really use it. Bingo! I also got to see my other friend Emily Miller and her husband Lane while I was at work (imagine that...) and although are time was extremely short she gave me a really good hug that should tide me over till I can see her again. Life is busy and sometimes that is just how it turns out. I’m just glad that I got to see her while she was in town. I also got to watch the 49er’s Sunday night game against the Seachickens a couple days before Christmas Day with on of my best friends Justin Jones. We have both been 49er fans since we were kids. I still have yet to buy my own 49ers custom jersey so when I came over to his house to watch the game he gave me his old Steve Young jersey to wear while watching the game. As it turned out it was a horrible game for the Niners, but I was in great company which means more to me than any win. It was so wonderful to see his kids before Christmas. Hannah his daughter sat with me most of the game and she brushed my hair and tried to put make up on me. Oh man she is growing up so fast. I say it all the time, but really I AM a very lucky guy and I know so many great people. Thank you.
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Me and My best friend Justin Jones
49ers 4Life! |
So, back to me slowly falling apart. Here I was out of school and should be living it up and all I did was try to stay afloat. The only thing that I did for fun really was reading. Which by the way I did finish Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin that I started over the summer and stopped when school started. That was one of my goals for holiday break and I’m happy I accomplished that. I realize also that I wasn’t the only one busy with the holiday season and so there was many people I didn’t have time to do anything with unfortunately. So I slept, ate, and worked. For some reason I couldn’t sleep very well either to make matters worse. Gee isn’t being a grown up so much fun?
So, now moving forward to Christmas Eve. Normally I don’t mind working Christmas Eve to be honest its usually the most relaxed day to work because we are usually extremely over staffed and everyone is usually in a good mood. This year however it was hard to find the jolliness inside me I have to admit. As the day went on I did better though. I ended my shift at work by going around and giving many hugs. Not just any hug though, these were the kind of hugs I train all year for. Then after I said many goodbyes I made my way home to prepare for the arrival of my brother. Now, at this point I probably should just go to bed and be fresh for the next day since the next day was Christmas Day and all, but it is tradition for my brother and I to get together and play games till what ever time we see fit. I was determined not to let my seven days straight of work get in the way of this tradition. I did however take about a 45 minute nap. My brother finally showed up and we gamed until the wee hours of the morning. As tired I was it was so worth the fun we had and laughs we shared.
Christmas morning....was slow to start for my brother and I. I did manage to get up and take a shower and do some prep work for the Christmas breakfast I was scheduled to make as my food contribution to the day. Christmas at my sister’s Magic Cottage is something else I will say. My sister always does a great job making her home welcoming and festive. Right when we got there I made my way into the kitchen and went to work. The menu for Christmas breakfast was Pancakes (some with cranberries and some without), eggs, turkey bacon, pork bacon, and some sweet potatoes with bell peppers and rosemary. It all turned out quite d-lish. When I was done cooking I found my favorite chair, sat my heine down on it, and didn’t move unless I had too. I did interact with my family, but I wasn’t as lively or jolly as I normally am on Christmas. My sister put in the movie White Christmas. We all watched the movie and made comments about the movie collectively. It was fun talking about the movie White Christmas even after we have all seen it many times before (with the exception of my brothers girlfriend Erica) and also watching it with my grandma because she knew more about what life was like back when the movie was made. We caught some stuff that I hadn’t noticed before. It was just really relaxing being around my family. I don’t want to give you the impression that we are just this perfect family that doesn’t fight or have issues. There was a bit of arguing between my sister and mom about what time we were told to show up at my sisters earlier that morning, but that blew over eventually. I still think overall we do work well as a unit and it has taken some years to get to that point.
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I didn't know this picture existed till I was putting my blog
together, but I love it! |
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Chef Heine.
Yep, people ate this guys food. |
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| My sisters Christmas tree |
Then around 2 o’clock my aunt Nat, her boyfriend Pete, and Pete’s mom Mary showed up to join the fun. We gathered around the 7 foot tall Christmas tree that I helped my sister get weeks earlier. Presents were then passed out by my sister and Pete. Then slowly one by one each present was opened and enjoyed. Awesome the presents I got to give and receive. Again, this year I was impressed with the gifts given. My brother’s gift to my aunt Nat was by far the best gift of them all. My aunt Nat is a wonderfully talented artist and has done many pieces of artwork for the family and others. My brother bought her a sketchbook for Christmas, but that wasn’t really the gift at all. Inside the sketch book he wrote a letter to my aunt that she read out loud to everyone. It was a very moving letter that basically told her what an impact her art had on him as a kid and asking her to make a new piece of artwork for him to have at his home. Awesome. Those are the presents you can NOT put a value on. We did a drawing for secret Santas at Thanksgiving to select one person to do someones stocking and another person to get a gift. I was lucky enough to get my grandma as my secret Santa for both and she didn’t disappoint. She made up for the smaller size 49ers socks I got last year with some really good ones this year. She got me lots of fun things like The Avengers movie and the newest Mumford and Sons CD. She also got me my favorite candy bar called a Mahalo bar which is like an almond joy (but sooooo much better!) but is vegan & gluten free. My brother got me 4 bottles of the Cholula hot sauce which is also one of my favorite things (two original, one chipotle, and one chili lime) and a helicopter model kit (thats a present taking it back to when we were younger). My mom got me a set of 4 M&M Christmas ornaments that are really cool. Unfortunately, I have to wait till next year to use them, but they will look awesome on the tree next year. Pete and Nat got me and my brother some remote controlled helicopters....you’re never too old to be a kid damn it!
Erica my brothers girlfriend got me some nice smelling body wash. What was even cooler about her gift was she put a two dollar bill in with the tissue paper. Now that might not mean anything to many people, but to me it meant a whole lot. See two dollar bills always remind me of my father because I use to see him buy bundles of them from the bank to keep them in circulation when I was a kid. So, after he died for a long time when I came across a two dollar bill I bought it and kept it. I had collected quite a few of them till times got hard and I needed the money. Seeing that two dollar bill as I was opening that present brought back a really great memory for me. It’s the little details in life people not the amount of money spent. Last, but definitely not least was my sisters gift. She didn’t have much money to spend this Christmas so she tapped in to one of her many talents and made some jam for everyone. Now, this is not just any ordinary jam mind you. This jam included the raspberries picked in her own back yard over the summer and some of the d-licious hood strawberries that are only found in Oregon in June and July. I just tried the jam recently on a waffle (thanks again Kelly!) and it was soooooo wonderful.
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| Here is my sisters jam in action |
As for the gifts I gave I was secret Santa for my brother and I got him a Lord of the Rings board game and a Hobbit card game. Which only seemed appropriate since we had seen the new Hobbit movie in the theater the week before Christmas. Later Christmas night we tried out the Hobbit Card game and it seemed pretty fun. I was my mom's secret Santa for her stocking so I got her the Thor movie, some moonstruck holiday candies, and lots of Hershey candies as well. For my sister I got her the game Awkward Family Photos and a funny book about garden gnomes. My Grandma I got her a Crossword puzzle book that is a small enough in size that it will be easy to take on the go. I got Pete a football because for being a high school football coach when visiting him over the summer at his house during our family reunion he didn’t have a damn football to throw around. For Erica I got her this card game called NUTS! We didn’t get to try it out, but it looked really fun. For my aunt Nat I didn’t finish making her a music CD that I was planning to give to her for Christmas, but I still plan to make it for her soon and mailing it to her. I’m not sure exactly what kind of music she is into, but I like the challenge of putting together a CD for someone. Glad to see that my family didn’t spend a fortune, but found some really great things to give.
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| My aunt Nat opening a gift |
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| Oh Elly... =) |
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Pete and Pete's mother Mary(top left). Also, my sister
(top right)and my Grandma(bottom left) |
After presents we all just kind of sat around, talked, and relaxed. Mean while my sister went to work making the beef stew for dinner. Snacks were set on the table and we all munched and mingled. I spent a good amount of time talking to my grandma about what Christmas time was like for her when she was younger. I think its very important to know your families history. Heck, I enjoy talking to my grandma always. When dinner was finished the day started to slow down and then Nat, Pete, and Mary had to leave because they had a long drive back home. Then my mom and grandma left shortly after.
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| I LOVE this pic of my brother. lol |
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| My lovely sister |
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| I can see you smiling mom! = ) |
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| My grandma |
So, it was down to my sister, my brother, Erica, myself and a game called Awkward Family Photos. Now from the beginning of this entry you know that I’m running on empty and barely staying afloat, but I’m a gamer and I really wanted to try the game out. The game itself is quite fun given the right crowd to play it with. Turns out being as tired and loopy as I was I think made the game so much better. There was one photo in particular that we needed to make a comment on that put me into laughter that had me crying. Much needed by all of us and we played quite a few rounds before we ended the night.
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My sister, Erica, My brother, me, and ummmm
Plastic Santa! |
This is why I say Bingo! to this holiday season of 2012. All of what happened for this holiday season was just what I needed. From a wonderful Thanksgiving to some quality time spent with good friends to my whole time spent Christmas Eve and day. I didn’t feel too stressed about the holidays in general I just was really tired. There has been many years spent by my family of trying to figure out what exactly Christmas is and I think that my family and I have started to figure that out. Bingo! This also was my first term of college going through the holidays season. I think I will prepare myself a bit better next year and make it so I can be more awake to enjoy all of what goes on. I just feel lucky that I have the family that I do and that I don’t spend the holiday stressed out and angry. It’s sad the amount of people I know who have to drink to make it through the holidays. I feel very lucky not to be one of those people. Till next year I suppose and I will say goodbye to the 31st holiday season I have experienced in my lifetime. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well and it was everything you needed.
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| All hung on the railing with car... |
As always I send this to you with love and pure D-lite. = )
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