Stress-ember

December has become one of my least favorite months.

It is plump with too many activities, too many projects, too many expectations, too much stuff.

I just want a simple December.

Simple days, simple nights

And I fear I am past the age of simple.

December 3rd

Mom and I started the month of right by taking a day off of work. The alarm went off at work because my butt wasn't in my chair, but I didn't care. I didn't check emails, I didn't even worry that it was the first day of our quarter close rush.

We were going shopping for Christmas presents (which turned into us just going shopping and me not buying a single thing). I love hanging out with my mom. We had lunch at Grand Lux and had my mom home before rush hour traffic.

December 8th

Dp and I went for a hike (but you can't really call it that when there isn't any toporgaphy, so it was just a walk) at Brazos Bend.  I always have this vision of what a walk in the woods will be like and then - never fails - Boy Scouts, loud and roudy, come wizzing past us on bikes. This troup also got a speech about how you dont throw rocks at horses...

December 9th

I was "starting" to stress out that nothing is done yet, no presents, no Christmas plans, no decorations. So I forced Dp to help me get all the little Christmas goodies out. He gives me such a hard time about the excess of decorations. I have 1 tub. And I always think I have more nutcrackers than I really do.

December 10th- 22nd

I went into quarter close hibernation. My work load explodes at the end of the year just as everyone else slows down. Never enough hours in the day, lots of late nights.

Somehow we got our shopping done, in one strategically planned Saturday outing. Home before noon.

Dp gets a cold, Dp gives Analee a cold.

December 23rd

Christi, me and her brother Shane have seen every single Lord of the Rings movie together. So me and my phlem, saw the Hobbit together. It isn't really Christmas without LOTR. Of course David and Christi sat together as Tolkien fans.

December 24th

Such a weird Christmas this year. We haven't really done any of our Christmases yet. David went shopping with his dad... on Christmas Eve... in two of the most crowded places in Houston. Those Michelettis are crazy. Christmas Eve we went over to my parents house. Mommy mad chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes and we tried to remember our earliest Christmas memory. Then we went home and watched Treasure Quest on Netflicks. Very Christmasy.

December 25th

Dp and I woke up, opened presents. And then we went to take Gil & Mary to the Omni West for Christmas Brunch. Nope didn't cook, didn't attempt to cook. Huge spread at that place, and I forced Dp to eat a little green salad. Then we came home, took a decadent nap, watched Treasure Quest and ate a frozen pizza. And then I stayed up till 1am working on work.

December 26th

Back at work.