Success!

Although it was Julia and Donny's party, I had a ton of fun helping to cook and bake beforehand, and be a good junior hostess by taking shots with anyone who offered. Which was many. But it was so much fun and so worth it. We missed Annie a lot, but it was really nice to catch up with old friends and see new ones again.

I will eventually post some shots of the food, which received lots of compliments. I only made Swedish meatballs and peanut butter balls and helped with a few other dishes, and only got to try a few things before they were either gone or I was too far gone to think about eating.

It was snowing and sleeting as soon as I got onto the highway to head down to my mom's for her family's Christmas party, and that combined with having the times mixed up (or rather, never being told a time) and having no possible way of making it on time, meant that I had to cancel. I was exhausted and couldn't fathom driving three hours in the blinding sleet. Instead, I went home and took an epic nap with Rags, woke up for the Patriots game and interfaith vigil/President's speech, and then went back to bed for what was far too short of a sleep before Monday morning arrived.

I'm so emotionally exhausted from everything that happened on Friday. I didn't know anyone personally, and I'm not a teacher and don't have kids, so I have not the slightest clue what anyone down there is going through. However, I've found myself sobbing on and off since I heard the news. This is one of those times that working for a Catholic school is really nice, because although I'm no longer practicing, the sense of community at a candlelight prayer vigil this morning was so comforting. I sat and cried for a while after the service. After everyone lit a candle, we were invited to take a name of one of the victims from the basket. I grabbed the first one my fingers found, and it was the principal. Her maiden name is my mom's maiden name, and although we don't know her family, my aunt (who's a genealogy whiz) said there were always two sets of the family with our last name, but they go back many generations. Nonetheless, it's still a strange coincidence that I picked her name. And honestly, I'm glad it wasn't a child. Seeing a six- or seven-year-old's name in my pocket every day would bring me to uncontrollable tears, whereas an adult who has lived a good life is a tiny bit easier to look at.

Oh, and in case you're keep track - I'm on my third sinus infection since October. It was exactly two weeks ago today that I was on day 4 of a sinus infection. Today, I am on day 4 of another sinus infection. This time I got smart and went to my doctor, who prescribed antibiotics and said if it happens again or doesn't clear up within a week, she wants a scan done of my face to see if there is something else going on in there. I'm freaking myself out because I have had pain and pressure in my eyes all week (the first symptoms before my eyes bulged out last year), but then again, I'm having pain and pressure everywhere from my neck up thanks to this sinus infection.

An Actual Christmas Party

In 2012, there are few parties actually labeled Christmas parties, but half the that I've been invited to are. My Junior League party on Monday was a holiday party, my best friend's party tomorrow night is a holiday cocktail party, but my three other parties are all legitimate Christmas parties because everyone attending is an assumed Catholic. Assumed here is the key word.

Tonight is our work Christmas party. Because this is a Catholic school, we can get away with a Christmas tree and saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays." In fact, it's expected. People even comment that the Catholicism on campus is too hidden. Fair enough, but not everyone who attends or works here is Catholic. You obviously don't have too big of a problem with Catholicism if you teach, work, or go to school here, but there are plenty of non-Catholics and even non-Christians.

Sunday is our family Christmas party. My mom's side of the family is big, and since we all tend to do our own thing with our individual families on Christmas day, it's always been tradition that we get together a week or two before Christmas to eat a big huge meal, exchange gifts, and take awkward family photos. This year will be the first time I'm able to attend since 2006–which was also how Thanksgiving was this year. We pick names out of a hat after Thanksgiving dinner and those names become our Secret Santas. It's a little boring and expected as most of us write down exactly one idea for a gift under $25, and I suggested we bring back the Yankee Swap idea but I wasn't vocal enough.

Then on Wednesday is our department Christmas party. We have so much fun here in our little office of four but we also work our behinds off, so we decided to do our own little thing at my boss' new condo. She loves to cook and insists we don't bring anything but ourselves, but I was always planning on buying small gifts for the three of them even if we didn't have a party, and my Bloomin' Onion Bread was such a hit (albeit a lot uglier than the original) at the Junior League party that I'm going to make it again...but give myself more time to make it pretty and less messy to eat.

I can't stay long at the party tonight. I've been up so late every night this week, including last weekend, that I crashed when I got home from work last night. I planned to get started on the baking for tomorrow, but I found myself a complete waste of life. I slept from about 6 till 9 p.m., got up to watch some Grey's and Jersey Shore, and then went right back to sleep. I cannot wait sleep in next weekend–my first opportunity in two weeks.

Again?

Well, it's official: I'm sick. Again. I got my flu shot like a good girl as soon as I was well enough after surgery to go back to work and my regular life. Thank goodness, because a few weeks later, my dad was sick as a dog with the flu and it lasted a loooong time. I ended up with a sinus infection as he was finally turning a corner, but I think the timing was just a coincidence.

When I saw Dr. S (ENT surgeon) right before Thanksgiving, he reminded me that the sinus issues could persist for a while. I also have the odds stacked against me, since is the first winter I've lived in New England since 2006-2007. And the fact that it goes from snowing to 60° overnight doesn't help - the weather has been so strange lately. And the climate isn't changing? Yeah, OK...

Monday morning I woke up feeling not so great. I figured it had something to do with the fact that I went out the previous Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights - which is way more than I usually go out in a three-week period, let alone a five-day period. I checked with Julia and neither of them are sick, so I think this is just what Dr. S was warning me about. It's the same thing as last month -  head/neck aches, sinus congestion, post-nasal drip, and a sore throat from all of the above that is worst when I first wake up in the morning. My NetiPot is getting so much mileage it's not even funny. The only difference this time around is that I'm not sneezing every 3 minutes like I was last time. Actually, I can't recall the last time I sneezed.

Speaking of sneezing...

Weekend Retreat

I had a fabulous weekend. I have been planning to go up to the Boston area for weeks now, and 12:30 p.m. on Friday had finally arrived. My best friend lives in Woburn, so I try to get out there once a month or so to visit and experience more culture than the Springfield area has to offer.

I knew it was going to be a good weekend when I hit absolutely zero traffic on the 90-mile trip. Granted, it was well before rush hour but usually there is some amount of traffic on either the Mass Pike or 95. Not this time! I arrived in record time and had a few hours to kill before we headed into the city for the Celtics game.

We found a rare metered parking spot across the street from the Garden (Gahden for you Southern folk), and so I just assumed metered was good and free. Well, until a certain time, meters need quarters to remain happy and I totally blame Julia, but we ended up with a $25 ticket - what it would've cost to park in a lot or garage. Oh well! We had dinner and drinks at The North Star, which so happens to be the official game-viewing location of the New England Gator Club (UF alumni living in the Boston area). I've never made it out to Boston for a game this year, but now that we know we're playing in a BCS bowl on Jan. 2, I might.

The game was great. The Celtics won, I enjoyed my first-ever NBA game (I really don't like professional basketball but I'll always cheer for my Boston teams), and I had a great time with friends.

When we woke up on Saturday morning there was a dusting of snow on the ground and more still falling. It was so pretty, but cold. We decided to bundle up and take Julia and Donny's dog Buster for a trail walk around a lake in Andover. It was such a gorgeous place with the snow and I took a ton of photos.

*Note: You can click on the photos to view the larger versions, and use your arrow keys to scroll through. I don't know why the formatting is messed up - get over it.



After our walk, we went out to lunch and went shopping. I got a few steals in the form of dresses for all my upcoming holiday parties. Later on, we eventually got cleaned up. Julia, her friend Laura, and I went out for a girls night at a bar where one of our friends works. The whole evening was totally comped, which saved us a crapload of money. We still gave her a good tip because we're awesome, but it's definitely the type of place I couldn't normally afford.

I planned to leave when I woke up on Sunday morning like I always do. I missed Rags and have a rule about being lazy but at home on Sundays. Instead, I slept in later than I have in months. I'm sure the five drinks Saturday night had something to do with it, as did their insanely comfortable guest bed and down comforter, but I think my body was telling me something so I just went with it. I ended up staying until dark (which is now 4 p.m.) after the Patriots game, and was blessed again to not have any traffic on the drive home.

I'm already counting down the days until I go back in two weeks for their holiday cocktail party, and since I get a week-and-a-half off for Christmas and New Years (thank you, Catholics!), I'll probably go back up again then, but this time possibly with Rags in tow. The first time he met Buster, he also met Julia's parent's dog, Teddy, and they really hit it off. Buster barked a lot and was disrupting Rags and Teddy's love affair, and Rags tried to tell Buster to back off in the form of a nasty bite to the ear. Now that Buster's ear has healed from the Mike Tyson incident, we think the dogs will do better with just each other in Buster's home. He's the nicest, most mild-mannered dog I've ever met and Rags could learn a thing or two from him.

By the way, all the snow melted the following morning. It is currently 55 degrees and I wish it was cold and snowy, only because it's December 3 and all of Advent should be cold and snowy.