Happy New Year!

In spite of the freezing fog, frigid temperatures and semi-crazed drivers, I made it home safely. Yay!

Christmas was good. I drove straight to mom and dad's and arrived about 11:30 am. My brother came over around 12:00 and mom got up around 12:30. We sat and chatted and ate until around 5, then tore into the presents. I ended up falling asleep on the couch so my Christmas ham dinner was at around midnight.

My treasure this year is the cobalt blue kitchen aid mixer. Oh, I loves it! I've been asking for one for ages and was about to break down and get it myself when Santa Mom decided that I'd been good this year. Mom also sponsored a draft horse in my name at a shelter here so we get to go on a tour and maul the animals at some point. That'll be nice too. I miss spending time with horses. It's ironic that I found a shelter to volunteer at outside of Chicago, but can't find anything in rural North Carolina. They exist, but people (as usual there) don't follow up worth a hoot and I haven't managed to connect with them. Grr. I'll try again shortly. Anywho, I used to volunteer at the place we'll be touring so it'll be good to see some familar faces and also what they've changed since I was there last.

This week has been a whirl of social activities and catching up with friends and family - something every day. Yesterday was particularly great - I went to breakfast with a group of friends from college. Around noon we freed up the table and moved to my friend T's house. I ended up leaving there around 4:30 in the afternoon. It's the first time we've all been together in probably 10 years and I'd forgotten how much fun we all had together. My sides hurt from laughing and it felt really good to realize that we can pick up right where we left off, in spite of marriages, divorces, moves, children... you know, life. We will not let so much time go by before our next gathering.

I have a bunch more stuff on the agenda for my visit, and some things that I know aren't going to happen - the time always goes faster than I think it should.

Special bonus - my aunt and uncle got a wireless router for Christmas, so my iphone is already set up for it and my laptop will be as soon as I retrieve it from mom and dad's. Yay for having use of my own computer! (My uncle is a solitaire JUNKIE and spends HOURS on their computer playing. I expect my aunt to acquire her own computer shortly.)

Anywho, whatever you end up doing, be safe this New Year's Eve and HAPPY NEW YEAR!