It’s been a nice Christmas holiday this year. Due to financial difficulties, I wasn’t able to head up to Anchorage to be with my family for Christmas, so I ended up spending Christmas on my own for the first time in my life. While I missed being able to see family, all in all, it really wasn’t such a bad thing — there will be plenty of other chances for me to head back up to Alaska in the future (possibly even a few that aren’t in the dead of winter!), and it gave me a few days of just “me time” to kick back and relax without having to deal with the rigors of travel.
I’d originally thought I was going to work on Christmas Eve day, but things were slow enough at work that I ended up getting the day off after all. A nice surprise, though if I’d known earlier, it might have made the trip to Anchorage more likely, so there was a slight element of frustration, too. However, not being one to complain about an unexpected day off, I spent most of the day just relaxing at home, with a few hours of wandering around downtown Seattle watching all the last-minute holiday shoppers hurry from store to store.
On the way back home from my wander, I decided that I might as well do what I could to celebrate the Christmas holiday in my own particular style — and ducked into the theater to see Bad Santa. What a wonderfully horrid little movie! The entire thing is very, very wrong, and very, very funny. Definitely not a movie for everyone, but if you’re into black comedy and don’t mind a film taking quite a few outrageous shots at the Christmas season, it’s worth checking out.
After a bit more time goofing off at home, I headed up the hill that evening for Christmas Eve at the Vogue. What better way to spend Christmas Eve than at a goth club with a lot of people dressed in black and listening to dark music, right? ;) Hey, it works for me — especially as there’s nothing wrong with having a little fun with the night, and among the songs played at the club that night were a few of the songs from the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack.
Today’s been another day of nothing. A little dinking around on the ‘puter, a little reading and zoning out, and seeing Return of the King for the second time. My only frustration was that I’d intended on calling home to wish Mom, Dad and Kevin a merry Christmas — but I don’t have long distance, and I discovered today that my phone card had expired a couple of months ago. Of course, this being Christmas day, I don’t know of any open stores close to me where I could pick up a new phone card, so I may have to take care of that sometime in the next couple days and call them this weekend instead. Hopefully they’ll understand!
We also had a quiet Christmas. Since we were up until about 2PM due to “Midnight Mass,” I slept until about 10 AM and Berta until near 2 PM. We had a brief gift exchange, then relaxed while I fixed Christmas dinner, than, after that, went out and followed the map to find this year’s gaudy Christmas lights (I am putting a few pictures in our photo gallery). We then retired to take advantage of one of the gifts, the entire first season of West Wing on CD, using the player you got for us last Christmas (I think). We have used it a lot, though this is only the second time we have purchased something to keep (the first was Berta’s favorite movie, “Gone With The Wind.”). We do watch the ones you gave us, and it is fun to contrast the two versions of Anna and the King of Siam.
Kevin called either while we were out driving around or watching West Wing. Rats! We’ll try to contact him tonight. We talked to him last week. One of Emily’s brothers is moving to Ft. Lauderdale (sp?) FL at the end of the year, and they are going to help him move in. While there, they are going to the Gulf side to spend a couple days with your grandparents, and to help them pack for moving.
We talked to Harold and Arline, and they are getting their new home earlier than thought, aroud the 7th or 8th of Jan. Arline is thrilled; Harold is definately not.
Because we hoped you would be here, we did not get a gift package sent. Expect one in the relatively near future. Anything special you would like included, if we can?
It was -10 on our front porch when I got the newspaper this morning. Poor Kirsten. I know this is not your favorite time of year, and you do not share my love for the severe beauty.
Your Aunt Susan called on Christmas Day, and she and Eric may come to AK next summer. On the other hand, as they do not have a great deal of money, they may not.
Doug, Pam, and the girls spent the holidays with Pam’s parents in Cancun.
Bud’s health is generally better, but they are doing very little about the probable liver cancer.
It is frustrating about the day off. Oh, la!
Of course we understand about the phone card.
I am glad you had a good day.
We love you.
Dad