Monday, December 27, 2004
Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more.
Weds. night I went to Bashar's house and we got in a food fight. So midnight, the beginning of my birthday, I was heading back to my apartment in my pjs, covered in canned cheese and whipped cream. Tee, hee. That's how I like to celebrate.
Then I got up and went up to my grandmothers house and we sat around and talked, mostly about my idiot mother and her idiot husband. But it was the longest and most honest conversation I've ever had with my Grammie and I feel so much closer to her now. She's a doll. She gave me a sweet little jewelry box, some lovely earrings that were exactly the kind I was looking for, a booklight (which I named Francis), amoung other things. She even made me gingerbread cake, my absolute favorite. Then at noon, my mother and brother came for lunch. I specifically asked my mother not to bring Bob. I still haven't met him, and I have no problem with meeting him, but that's not what I wanted for my birthday. But of course it has to all be about her, she had him drop her off at my grandmothers. She called him twice during lunch. And when he dropped her off and picked her up, he had to make a big show of getting out to open her door and tuck her in. Don't get me wrong, I want nice things for her, but I resent his obvious attempt to put on a show for my benefit. I just stayed in the house and told myself to laugh about it. "Laugh or go crazy." She gave me a VERY BIG fuzzy green scarf that is very warm and pretty, but looks a bit like its conspiring to overtake my ears and then the rest of my head. I named it Felice. I'll take a picture. Therese would adore it. Coco would be afraid of it. Lou would put eyes on it. Zoe would laugh and use it as a kite. I gave my granny a basket of books and snacks. I also tucked in a cat toy and some treats for the kitten I heard she had adopted, not knowing that she had given it away. She was explaining to me that this kitten had just destroyed everything and was aggressive and at 8 months he already weighed 15 lbs. Which is what both of my cats together weigh. The more she told me, the more I think he was a feral half bobcat. As kittens, they look just like normal domestic kittens, so the shelter wouldn't know the difference. She gave him to my uncle, who will let him be a outdoor cat on his big piece of property, which is the best thing for him. I gave my brother Jesse a gift certificate to a great restuarant, Rita's. He paid for me to get a personalized lisense plate on my car and a nice mango scented candle. I gave Mumsie a coffee mug with a Thomas Kincaid painting on it with windows that light up when you put something hot in it. I took it out and tested it before I wrapped it, it was cool. I'm very easily amused. I gave her a scarf I crocheted too, there was supposed to have a matching hat, but after breaking my finger, that went out the window.
After I left my Grammie's, (with a baggie of gingerbread for the road, god bless her) and was driving home, my father called me (probably drunk or on his way there).
"Hi, how's your birthday going?"
"Great, 50Cent's song 'In Da Club' just came on the radio, which is good. 'Go shortie, its your birthday.......'."
"OK."
"But I just hit traffic and now I'm stopped dead on the freeway, so that's bad."
"Oh."
"But wait, life takes another upward turn! I'm stuck behind an ice cream truck!"
It's the little things really.
I went and did a little shopping until JR got off work, and spent a disturbing amount of money at PetSmart. Their parking lot always smells like wet dog for some reason. I got new plants for my fish, a new coconut house for the crabs, some great cat toys and toys for JR's dog and his parents dog. Since Dulce has this pink collar that she loves (if you take it off, she slinks around and mopes like you shaved her), I got her a little pink heart tag with her name and info. And I got Maximus a blue one (I wanted black spikes but they didn't have one small enough) with a little gold tag. He walks around with it like a little boy being forced to wear a tie for the first time. Dulce sticks her little chest out and shows hers off.
Then I went to Marshalls and bought a few more last minute presents and had a great time chatting up the people in line. I helped a girl pick out barware for her boyfriend and convinced an older woman to get the sweater she really wanted. Then I went home to change and JR took me to dinner at Antonios, which is this great old mexican place with amazing atmosphere and yummy food. That's where that picture below was taken. Then we went home and snuggled. I could just snuggle with him for hours on end. He's so lovely to me.
The next morning, Christmas Eve, JR came over I demanded that we immediatly exchange presents. What little willpower I posses does not extend to presents. I can't help myself, and I don't even try anymore. JR opened his main gift from me, which was sooooo hard to wrap.JR gave me this, and this, and this, and this and big black fur throw. And he wrote me love poems. I adore him.
I ran to Vons for omelet stuff, and then we just hung out all day, kissing and playing with the footbath and watching Miracle on 34th Street. We made an amazing dinner, the contents of which I won't list for fear you will get an idea of just how many calories we consumed. We had the nicest dinner, just the two of us. Nothing you could put under a tree could compare to moments like that. Then Jesse called and said he had some presents for me from my uncles and grandfather and wanted to drop them off. I got a funny t-shirt, a cd, some christmas socks, two glass hummingbird ornaments, and a sweater, bag and scarf, all from the Gap.
The next morning, Christmas, I got up early and headed over to JR's parents house to share in the gift exchange. His mother gave me a nice leather wallet with gift certificates to Rita's and the movie theater. Dang, now I have to be nice to her.
Then I ran home and picked up my Adorable Jordanian Neighbor, Bashar, and took him with me to Bunny's house for breakfast (which was suberb!). I got Bunny's boys walkie talkies and her daughter Jessica a scarf I made and a box of chocolate. I got Bunny some books about gardening and Bashar some chocolate and wine and a spice rack. Bunny gave me wine and an unbreakable wine glass (she knows my clumsy self too well) and Jessica gave me very cute bookends that now sit on my big bookshelf. Then JR joined us there at Bunny's, and then we went back to his parents house. I got to meet his brother Billy's girlfriend, Megan. JR's aunt, uncle and grandmother came over for a late lunch, which would have been nicer if JR's mother wasn't on one of her imfamous bitchy rampages. She hates that I'm not afraid of her, so she makes these 'joking' comments, and hates that I call her on them. Not mean or upset, I just say things like, "Kathy, what a nice thing to say". She's just a little bully and likes everyone to be afraid of her little barbs.
But at about 5:30, JR and I headed back to my postage stamp and had another cozy little evening together. He's worth fifty bitchy mothers. He's what I wanted for Christmas, and I got him. Merry Christmas to me. I hope the holidays were as kind to you as they were to me.


1 Comments:

Blogger Minoa said...

what a nice surprise! i wasn't sure if you were going to be online over the break, wait, don't tell me you're at work! i hope that you get a minimal amount of phone calls, and that a lot of sharing goes on w/ leftover Christmas goodies from your co-workers!!!

i liked J.R.'s Christmas gift theme!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! i love food fights!!! what a great way to start off your special day! ;)

it sounds like you had a lot of fun with some amazing people over the holidays! i'm sure that their greatest gift was getting to spend it w/ such a sweet & superbly wonderful gal like yourself!!!

happy holidays to all at the Postage Stamp (JR included)!!!

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