The Wicked Witch is Dead

Ahhh. What a good night's sleep and a day with nothing planned will do for the psyche. I did have to deliver Jack's Culture Day food offering to the school, but that was the only commitment I had - a 15 minute one. You'll love this, coming from a Polish family with a gazillion traditional recipes: JJ came home and told me he had to bring a cultural dish that his family cooks at the holidays. I know this is all that PC crap about not being able to have a Christmas party - now we have to celebrate every single holiday from every single religion on the planet, thus resulting in something called "Culture Day". And I'm all for diversity, but really, here in Sumner, I'm thinking there won't be too many exotic dishes pouring in. I hemmed and hawed, especially since, not only are we not cultural, we don't really make anything special at the holidays. Finally, I threw together a huge 9x13 of homemade mac and cheese, covered it in crushed Ritz crackers, and called it good. There. That's my culture. Heinz 57 American, baby.

Need I say, not a bite was leftover.
Oh, and Merry Christmas.

Since I was up and out at that point, I decided to go get my nails done - or try, at least, thinking there would be no way I would get in. But, the place was dead and my guy was free right away. He plopped three unread People magazines in front of me and voila! an hour of total pampering. Not only that, he was bothered by my dry cuticles so he gave me a bottle of cuticle oil that is normally some ridiculous price, as a Christmas present. Cute, huh?!

As I was driving home, via the Starbucks drivethru for my eggnog latte, I was all excited to have the entire rest of the day to write and read at my computer. I hadn't blogged much this week because I didn't have much to say, but all of a sudden I felt like I could write for hours. Today was our last school day (I can't believe you guys go all the way to Wednesday - WTF?) so I knew JJ would be in the door and out again in seconds. I am supposed to go to this party tonight at a friend's house, someone I met in PTA last year. She comes to all of my stuff and I really do like her, but I'm not feeling much in the party-with-people-you-don't-know-well mood. I am far more inclined to put on my slippers, make a killer cocktail and wander over to S&T's, where everyone else in BLU will be, for dinner and drinking. However, good friend that I am, I will make an appearance at JA's party then beg off early. Not like my co-eds will be done partying by the time I get back.

I said no to the babysitting, if you haven't guessed. I said no and didn't feel guilty. Then I was totally vindicated this afternoon, when CC called me to ask is her kids could come over for a couple of hours while she went to get her hair cut. I didn't even make up a lie, or give her a reason, I just said, "No, I can't today." Big girl me! The thing is, like I told J, at that point I was just so pissed off that the only reason they ever call me is when they need a babysitter...that's not what I'm here for! They still haven't mentioned Christmas dinner...that's another story altogether and I won't even bore you with it.

This morning, T said he was going to invent a pill that would erase entire thoughts from your head. Like I could take one that would erase CC. I know I bitch about her all the time and it drives everyone nuts; I don't even know why she bugs me so intensely. I don't know what it is I can't let go of, why I spend so much energy on the two of them. They are who they are and I can't change that. I just get sooooo twisted up over the stupidest, most unimportant things with them. Grrr...

Anyway, so that's tonight's plan. Tomorrow JJ and his football team and going to see Avatar to celebrate the end of their 7-1 season, and the end of flag football for them :( Next year, it's school football - all tackle and serious. Or, as I like to say to embarrass them, because that is my job, "Big Boy Football." I kill myself. I think J and I will take the three hour opportunity to do a little last minute shopping in downtown S - you know, where all those cute little kitschy shops are - (we still haven't got C's ornament for this year - that's all) and maybe go to lunch together, or something utterly romantic and sweet like that. No plans tomorrow night, which is kind of odd.

Sunday is wide open too. J has this plan for Christmas Eve that we'll all decorate Christmas cookies together, so maybe I'll make the cookies Sunday. K & R and their boys will come for dinner that night, and K loves to decorate cookies as much as J does, so it should be fun. This is our second year doing Christmas Eve with the gang, but T&S have a family dinner this year so it will just be the eight of us. We started this "tradition" of having clam chowder, fresh crab and shrimp. K&R will do all the cooking, so I'll just kick back with a festive bev and enjoy the treat. Gosh, wish I had one of those glasses... :)

Between now and then, I really have nothing left that has to get done, besides normal household stuff. Like my hardwood floors are pretty sticky. And the bathrooms are pretty icky. But really, who wants to do that kind of stuff? I'd just as soon go spend some more money and buy more presents.

Anyway, I'm going to go read some now and try to write a little too. I hope you had a successful day shopping and that you did, indeed, "belly up" to the steak. How about we say, "treat yourself" instead? I'm quite certain you deserve it.

Love you,
A