Christmas Eve 2007

Wow, it is almost 1500. Where does the time go?

Time to relate Christmas Eve, always a fun adventure every year. I love my family but there are a lot of things that go on with them that I find mystifying. The alcoholism is amazing. We always had one alcoholic but now we are up to two. The rest of us are not only not alcoholics, we don't drink at all. It is an all-or-nothing proposition with us.

We headed to my parents' house at 1330 because my father was upset. He just got overwhelmed with the Christmas insanity, the overload of dogs (he swore earlier in the month that he would turn people away, but of course he did not), and the constant care of my mother. It just really got to him, so we did stuff and went to the store. We finally left the house around 1540 to go out to Long Island and we made excellent time. We plugged my mother into the DVD and left her watching The Black Stallion in the back seat (no back seat driving this trip), while Luis played with the traffic feature on his [ridiculous] Trio phone and kept us appraised every ten seconds of the traffic patterns. Ray and I chatted on the way out. Driving out in the daylight is easy, and with the EZ Pass, it is a painless trip. There was some stop-and-go traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway but just about six to ten minutes worth. We sailed right in from there over the Whitestone Bridge (almost unthinkable) and into Queens to the tiny narrow street they live on.

The house was actually warm and well-decorated. They always decorate nicely, but getting my uncle to turn up the heat is not easy. Someone must have snuck it up a bit without him noticing. Chuckle. It has to be Renee. She'd do it. And she is always cold, like me.

Oddly enough, Renee is never dressed up at all when we come for Christmas. It's just amusing for some reason. And this time she was in jeans and a tee shirt (which was fine) but went up to get changed (we were a little early), and then came down in a skirt and top. She had on a zip-up sweatshirt with a hood and leggings under the skirt and light-up socks under her slippers. It is a strange combination but again, the house tends to be cold in temperature and she's always cold. I can understand the layers thing.

Justine was already there but Toby came later and then the Garibaldis (I think that is the last name) came. They always come, although I find that curious. They come for dinner but are smart enough not to sit through the gift giving orgy that follows. I like them - they are intelligent, funny and well-travelled. Very enjoyable company.

Toby came and then we were in the living room chatting and I stood up at some point. Toby started raving about how great I look! I couldn't believe it. I thought I wouldn't hear much after I went to Luis' company dinner and that it was mostly people at work - my work - that saw it, but not really anyone else. But Toby was raving, and then Amy and I felt incredible. I was glowing and grinning and really loving it. This went on for quite some time and came up again and again. I was definitely the bell of the ball.

The dinner was excellent and we had a really great time. Amy made ham and I love ham. I did not have the pumpkin soup but I did have the fruit mix that went into it. The bread I did not have and I had no sugar products and I know it drove my uncle crazy that I did not use their sugar or tea or anything - I brought my sugar-Splenda mix. I stayed away from the alcohol too. You would think by now he'd be used to it.

My aunt was drinking scrub (it's disgusting) and wine at the same time. I have no idea how this began, but many years ago now (maybe ten), she began drinking a lot of wine at these little soirees and it has gotten worse over time. This year was no different. And Ray had two small glasses with scrub and a beer and I cannot recall ever seeing him drink that much! It was rather staggering. He was pretty funny, though. And he was fine by the end of the night.

[It looks like it is going to snow. I'm waiting for it to start.]

The gift giving orgy was great and I am blown away at the lovely things that we got. Amy and Raoul got me a gorgeous scarf from Ireland; Luis got a Drakkar kit. Renee and Alex gave Luis a game and I got three books, one of which I'm 75% through: You Did What, a book of historical blunders, You Said What?, a book of lies and propaganda throughout history, and Weird History 101, with things like "my dinner with Attila the Hun, I started World War I, watching Custer's Last Stand and other tales of intrigue, mayhem and outrageous behaviour".

Right up my alley!

And Justine gave us a framed photograph that she took. It's gorgeous - very Georgia O'Keefe - a close up of a flower that looks... well... like a vagina! We were laughing about that and I made the comment that it is a beautiful thing! I happen to own one and love it and use it often (it was more eloquently and poetically phrased than that). Oddly enough, there is no wire on the back to hang it up.

We stayed until around 2130 and then my mother began to complain, so I got right up and began to pack everything up and she got stuck in the kitchen talking to everyone. So I was waiting for us to troop out and we did not - I'd rather have stayed, but once I'm packed up and ready to go, that is it - I want to go!

The ride home was uneventful. We hooked Ma back up to the movie and the three of us chatted while I drove home.