I totally forgot to mention that the toy inside my Christmas cracker this year was a paperclip, completely blowing 2006's failure out of the water. Beat that, bitches.

Fritz, my cousin (in Vancouver)'s cat. I've been able to get a few more photos from the Vancouver trip done, mostly from the Bloedel Conservatory, which I've sadly learned is being closed down next year due to budget overruns and cutbacks.

( Photos! )

I made a promise to Jenn that we would do our best to make Christmas great this year, even though it would be our first since mom died. I like to think I kept that promise. We did have a really good Christmas. We went to Jenn's parents' house on Christmas Eve for dinner and gift exchange with her family, and it was a great dinner (the stuffing was amazing) and a lot of fun.

We had Jenn's dad come over for Breakfast on Christmas morning, since everyone else was doing their own thing that morning, and Jenn's mom was working. Jenn made delicious french toast, and I cooked the turkey bacon and hashbrowns, and it was great.

Jenn and I then headed up to my sister's place in Fort Sask. to spend the rest of our Christmas Day. I helped set her up with a Wireless G network while dinner was being prepared, and then we opened presents. The kids, as usual, were very excited and seemed to love their gifts from us. It was hard not to think of mom a lot, though. But we got through it.

I spent most of the afternoon helping my oldest niece set up her new iPod Touch (from her mom), and watching Yes Man (it was actually pretty good).

We had a really great dinner (the turkey was amazing), and it felt really good to be there with my family. After dinner, we watched Found Footage Festival, Volume 2 (Vols. 1-4 was our gift to my sister), and we nearly peed ourselves laughing.

So, in all, it was a great Christmas.

In other news, we got a crapload of gift certificates for Ikea, and spent them all today on a Coffee table and some other stuff for our rec room in the basement (after a delicious breakfast at Cora). On that note, we also bought ourselves a new sectional for the living room, so we can move the existing couch down there too. Next big purchase will be a new 52" LED TV to put in the living room, so we can put the existing 32" in the rec room as well. Whew.

She is also awesome

She is fucking amazing

"Red Star Over Russia"

I remember being a little kid and there was always one 'big ticket', must-have item, plus small gifts here and there. This year I received fewer than ten presents, which is 110% OK with me. It means I can keep track of my shit for once. I think the most expensive thing I got was a necklace from halfh0ur's mum. What a fabulous lady!

My 'big ticket' item this year was the first two seasons of ALF on DVD from my own mum and step-dad. So happy! Hope to get three and four for my birthday in March.

I have to be at work for 7:30 am tomorrow. Fuck you, Boxing Day. Let me get my Harry Potter calendar and get home in one piece. My cousin's six-year-old daughter beat the shit out of me in good-natured play. I think my nose is broken (she stole it, ate it, and pooped it out). Awesome!

We have now established the maximum occupancy of this table

...It's 3:40 PM. There's almost no one else in the office. And I'm still here for another hour. On Christmas Eve...

Sure, I have work to do still, but...

We are playing "dirty santa". K got the "gift that keeps on giving"- a hideous item that is regifted around the family every year. It used to be a piece of this horrible 70s-era floral print fabric, now it's this shirt. LULZ.

My mother is micromanaging me but liquor is helping

We are rich and beautiful. What is this "grits" you speak of?

Waffle hooooouse

The Boxing Day adverts in the newspaper make me wish I didn't have to be at work for 7:30 that morning. FFFFFUUUUUUU.

I didn't get to see Santa this year. Bummer. Killing time while waiting for my hair to dry. eatmyphotons tipped me off to the following SA thread: The Most Bachelor Thing You've Ever Done. It's kind of the story of my life.

I'm also super happy with the new boys at work. They're cheek-pinchingly adorable and absolutely keen to not suck at their job. If I were in grade ten I'd probably go out of my way to be BFF with them.

Speaking of underage boys, it's really creepy when my younger co-workers try to point out cute boys in the food court. 'Come on, Britt, isn't he hot?' They say, and I'm all like, 'DUDE HE'S JAILBAIT ALL I SEE IS THE WAISTBAND OF HIS DIAPER.' I retaliate and point out someone who looks, oh, 23-27, and they say, 'So old. Gross.'



With any luck, Mum will avoid the cardiac arrest of last year. She has that badass, $30 000 defibrillator implant now, but I'd still prefer she have the most uneventful day of her life.

Thinking of her defibrillator reminds me of the time I went to La Vie En Rose to buy a plain bra, as the one I was wearing was cheap shit from Walmart I hadn't tried on first and needed to be rid of. The woman in the shop kept directing me to these bras with magnetic front closures, and all I could really say was, 'if I hug my mother while wearing that, I'll probably kill her'. It was lol.

I was going to leave to take the bus at 8:00 AM, but my hair is still wet and I'm lazy and it's -30 °C I think I'll call a taxi. I've been cutting back on taxis, I swear!

This must be the county line.

Everytown, USA. My dad is rambling to K about its history. We are on our way to Jasper.

She is selling Chase/Southwest credit cards. At an airport gate. Do people seriously go up and say "Ooh, tell me more!"?

Our flight is delayed. Of course.

They are fraternizing. How much do you think they make? $9? $11?

OMG 9/11 NEVER FORGET

It is fucking freezing