Black Oak's Daughter

My company “Holiday Party” was Friday afternoon.  It was at a comedy club and they brought in Alonzo Bodden as the headliner.  I guess he was a winner on “Last Comic Standing” a couple of years ago. I’ve never heard of him, but he was hilarious. He did some current events routines that thankfully didn’t involve a lot of Tiger Woods jokes, and then for the last half of it engaged the audience. Our CEO makes a point of being front and center at events like that, so he took a large portion of crap. It was HILARIOUS. He takes crap from no one, and the whole crowd that works for him was dying laughing. It was awesome.  The food was good too, and I had a couple of drinks.  It’s kind of strange drinking that early, but they were free and they relaxed me a lot. I ran the rest of my errands after the party and was still home by 5. WIN!

The house is nearly ready for entertaining. I made the first cookies of the season this morning. I have 5 different kinds planned, we’ll see how many I get done.  I have three and a half days to get everything done. I ordered the last Christmas present from Amazon last night, everything else is wrapped and under the tree. Tomorrow I’ll go food shopping, and probably make more cookies. Tuesday I have a Chiropractor appt in the morning and a hair appt in the afternoon. I’ll probably fit in a couple of batches of cookies mid day too. Wednesday the cat goes to the vet and I have to pick up the ham. I’ll make the Lasagna and the pies, and finish cleaning the house.  Thursday I’ll finish whatever cookies I have to finish and plate them up, get the table set, and then stay out of Roomie’s way in the kitchen. He’s declared that he’s making his special green beans and another veggie. That’s fine with me.  We’re not the team that I’m used to being with someone in my kitchen, but he steps up and does his part quite tastily. (shut up, tastily is too a word)  My lasagna will be put together the day before and will  just need to bake, and with the ham, and his veggies and the garlic bread goes in last, it will be a good meal.  Once my brother’s family leaves, I can prep for brunch and make the wild rice salad that I’m taking to Christmas Dinner. I’ll be tired, but happy.

I really enjoy this stuff. And this year, for the first time ever, it really feels like there’s harmony in my house. Roomie has complemented me a few times on the decorations, and he sure liked the cookies that I made this morning. This is the first time that I”m really entertaining since my former life, and surgeries, and all that collective  negativity.  We’ve done Christmas Eve a couple of times since then, but it was a lot of work, and I wasn’t ready, the house wasn’t ready, it was stressful.  This year I’m enjoying it. I’m taking the time that I need to do things the way I want, and the work that we’ve done up to now in the house really shows. The living room and dining room are pretty, the kitchen is clean, my bedroom will be ready for kids that want to Wii, and the office will be straightened enough to be respectable.  I still have one junk room, but I’m working on it.  That one will be cleaned out by next Christmas.

All in all this is the first Christmas ever where I feel like I’ve got it together, organized, under control, and can enjoy it.  There’s a lot to do but I’ll find a way to get it all done. I’m not stressing.  Roomie will help if I ask. He’s got my back.   Today I took an hour and relaxed and watched a very cool version of the Messiah on PBS. If I were rushed or stressing,  I wouldn’t have done that.  I’ve been chatting off and on with minime all day too.  There have been lots of little things like that. Just moments. They would have gone unnoticed in my previous life.  I try not to let them go by unappreciated now.  That’s my Christmas gift to myself.

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