Merry "Different" Christmas

I have three days off at home. Our latest show was in Vegas, which was a hoot. I was (and still am) baffled at how many people make the choice to spend Christmas is Vegas.
"Get in the car, kids - we're meeting Santa Claus in LAS VEGAS!"

Maybe it's just that I'm not a fan of crowds on Christmas Day. Charlie's family used to go to Disneyland every year and I just can't hack it anymore. Can't deal with the strollers, noise, lines, the drive to get there...just let me RELAX without Mickey Mouse in my face. Thanks. That, and I'm just not a fan of Disneyland. Hate to say it, but it's true. Actually, I almost would rather go to Vegas than Disneyland. Ha, ha.

Anyway, this Christmas has been the most different one yet. First of all, Charlie is in Yemen, I'm in Los Angeles. I'm really OK with it...I mean, he's got to do what he's got to do. I have been on the road for the past five weeks, so who am I to orchestrate his activities? I don't know many other people who have been working a lot during the holiday season, so this is good...we need the money.
I have quite enjoyed "skipping the season", to be honest. I didn't (and still don't) have time to send out Christmas cards; I barely had time to shop for Christmas presents. At one point I was completely annoyed that I needed to buy anything at all...I mean, come on, I'm buried in the snow in Milwaukee, for crying out loud, and I'm supposed to purchase presents for people I see but three or four times a year? Ahh, but that is so very Bah-Humbug-ish! Someday, however, I'd prefer to adopt a "no gift" policy. Don't buy me anything, and I won't buy you anything. Because, truly, we all end up with a whole bunch of crap we really don't want. Like boxes of cereal prettily wrapped (my mom will never live that down). Or jewelry we just will NEVER wear. I used to wonder why I would get $10 or $20 in an envelope when I was a kid from relatives...now I know. Convenience! :)

So, my Christmas this year consisted of this: went to my dad's for Christmas Eve, came home, got mad at Charlie for buying coffee on a credit card in November (got the bill in the mail the day before). Chatted with Charlie over the internet, where it was already Christmas for him (12 hours ahead). Listened to Christmas carols, made cider on the stove. Watched "The Nativity Story" and surprised myself by bawling halfway through...finally went to bed at 1:00 a.m.

Today I went over to my friend Andrea's house and visited with her...watched her kids play with their Nintendo D.S. Went to my grandma's house to find her sleeping, but my uncle and 4-year old cousin were trying to put together this life-size Pirates of the Caribbean ship hull. I ended up doing the entire thing myself. It was the most ridiculous piece of plastic that I have ever attempted to assemble, but I did it. It took me two hours, too. During the assembly, my little cousin was pretending to kill me with his plastic sword, in addition to hacking his sick cough all over me. I'm doomed.

It was totally worth it to make his day, though - and the excitement that he got out of playing with his finished masterpiece was worth every effort (and curse word on Christmas Day).

Came home, ate some leftover ham and sliced a piece of pumpkin pie for myself. I might start ODing on the Emergen-C...can't get sick. Got two more days, but still, I want to be well for the show on the 27th!

Currently my neighbors are blasting mariachi music. Feliz Navidad.