heavens to betsy!

I haven't bloggededed in what feels like at least 3 or 4 years! The main reason being there's nothing in particular I feel like going on about. Besides, it's a little difficult to be creative and wordy when you're stressed out. And as far as I know, the only people that read this pretty much know everything by this point anyway, but what the hell.

Our company was closed from the 22nd - January 1st and I have to admit the time off was truly glorious. I had had it up to here with 2007 and needed to send off the last week of the year with good friends, family and the bottom of the Jack D bottle - not hanging out in the sneezefest of the 5th floor. I'll be completely honest with you and say half the time I didn't even know what day of the week it was, for all I know Thursday could have been the new Monday. With the exception of the Holidays themselves I didn't have much of a schedule to stick with, however I feel I did make good use of the time off.

Friday the 21st I took it back to '99 with some friends of mine from high school with a little old fashioned sleepover and board games - although this time (almost 10 years later) the liquor was a-flowin' and we were holed up in Jessica's new condo instead of Corthine's basement using an old strawberry-shaped toy chest as a drum. Corthine, like the good lush she is, brought supplies for chocolate martinis and they were outstanding. Dear Andrea brought Blokus which Corthine described as 'the opposite of Tetris' to which I retorted 'it's more like the opposite of fun'. Needless to say, I wasn't a fan. However she redeemed herself upon bringing Apples to Apples which I enjoyed so much that I encouraged my mom to go out and get it so we could play.

The Holidays also brought many friends back to the homeland and on Saturday the 22nd I Qdoba'd and shopped with Seany who was in from Japan. Looking back it appears as if the lunch and crowded mall was just a disguise for his absence of a vehicle to eat and last minute Christmas shopping. When I needed to stop in to store to look for last minute gifts, he squirmed and complained of too many 'foreigners' (non Japanese people) - however when it was his turn he was like a kid in a candy store. You can't fool me foo, I'm like Nancy Drew.

By the way, yes, I really am doing this - a day by day of my vacation.

So Sunday the 23rd I shopped some more, this time by myself, and picked up some necessary items for the Christmas festivities. Then decided to meet up with Brad* at his friends house for a little Packer party, which ended up being more of a pity party because the game was TERRIBLE. I wasn't sure how long I'd stay but I ended up having a great time sucking down Coors (yeah, Coors, you KNOW I had to have been having a great time if I'm drinking that urine flavored beer, or is it beer flavored urine?). More friends and family began showing up and before you know it we were playing some retarded drinking game that I didn't understand and ordering pizza. I left at about 8:30 and headed to my parents house, who happen to live up the street, and watched Christmas Vacation.

Sorry, I'm still going.

Monday the 24th - ye olde Christmas Eve at the 'rents abode. All I'm going to say that it was nice, cozy and pretty much a repeat of most years previous, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The most interesting thing I received was a small fire-proof safe. Upon tearing open the wrapping paper, I wasn't sure if it was in fact a safe, or something she had wrapped in a safe's box. So I opened the box too and sure enough, tucked inside was a little black safe. Her reasoning was that I could use it to store my back up CDs of photos and files from my computer, fair enough! It made me laugh, I can always count on Mom to give me something completely random for Christmas.

I guess that brings us to Tuesday the 25th - Christmas Day. Since my grandparents have either a. passed away or 2. moved to the U.P., we've been sort of left out in the cold for Christmas Day only having somewhere to go if my dad's aunt happens to have it at their place (I know, the world's smallest violin). This year their son ended up having it and for some unknown reason made no mention of us joining them. We ate breakfast and then my brother, mom, dad and I played the new Family Feud game for a couple of hours. In the midst of all that excitement, we were invited to my mom's brother's ex-wife's home (got all that?) for some bloody mary's which ended up being a pretty damn good (but loud) time until I left to watch a movie at Brad's.

I'm sort of sick of doing this....



Where was I? Oh yes, Wednesday the 26th. Blizzard....I braved the weather and met old dear friends of mine, Kelly and Andi at Tumbleweed for lunch. Andi is in the military and was in town for the holidays and we had a great time eating not-so-great food and reminiscing about the days when we all lived in Bay View. Then Brad and I had originally planned to go to Friday's at Miller Park but the weather was less than stellar and his sister ended up inviting us over for chili. I LOVE chili so it was an excellent substitute - on the way there I was informed his parents would also be joining us, it's a good thing I was dressed decent instead of opting for the usual I-live-in-a-recycling-bin-by-the-railroad-tracks look. After that I had made plans with Katie, Z and John for the triumphant return of Monica's. It was a good time with the exception of a little love hiccup between K and J, but shit happens! After that Z and I were troubled by some middle aged douchebag who decided it was his job to tell us how we should live our lives. He did offer us a drink, but I had to drive so I declined. At least Z took advantage of it.

Thursday the 27th K, Z and I went and saw Juno which is nothing short of amazing. Then Z and I lounged at my place while watching Adventures in Babysitting where I learned you don't FUCK with the babysitter and Joe Gipp (I thought it was Gibb but IMDB says Gipp?) is possibly the man I'm going to marry...or I would have in 1987.

Friday the 28th! Friday morning I met my friend Kathern for coffee - I hadn't seen her since high school and in the meantime she's moved to Colorado and had a little boy. So it was really nice to finally catch up! Brad and I go to din with mom and pops at Yen Hwa where I got to consume the always delicious Tsingtao beer and crab rangoons. Then we went to see I Am Legend which I already know I'm buying the second it goes on sale. The movie was....well....just look at this.



uuuugggghhhhhhhh Saturday the 29th. Brad's brother Gary had a party at his place (which is practically next door to the place I met him, well, again) and his ENTIRE family was there. We ate good food, shared some laughs (particularly when his niece thanked Santa for presents and God for milk while saying Grace), drank straight Jack out of the bottle and played 9458 games of pool.

SUNDAy thE 30th. Brad and I went to my parents house for lasagna and board games where all that can be described with the quote of the evening "don't flick it, it's still attached!" - hilarious.

New Years Eve was spent playing Yahtzee and 5000 with my mom in the afternoon, a couple hours at Brad's drinking Gentlemen's Jack, eating texas caviar and taco dip - then the 985 minute drive to Tina's for a low-key evening of more booze and falling asleep early.

NY DAY - movies.

That brings me to the fact that I am now back at work - in the year 2008 - so happy to be out of 2007.

If you read this entire blog, you either need to get back to work - or get a hobby.

Maybe I should take my own advice.

* This is much too long of a story to tell, if you know me you already know the dramatics of The Brad, if you don't you most likely won't care