Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Happy Holidays!

How do I begin to recount a week’s worth of adventure, excitement, and wonder?  It feels like an insurmountable task.  I’m not sure I feel up to it.  But I will try none the less.
We were supposed to go to Crystal Mountain for the Holiday. Freeman’s brother had rented a “cabin” for the weekend.  At one point there was to be 10 of us staying together.  Needless to say I was very nervous about it.  For some reason I had this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I couldn’t really identify the feeling, but something with this trip made me uneasy.  I didn’t want to go.  I really didn’t want to go.  It wasn’t his family.  I’ve been together with them for extended periods of time before.  I know what to expect.  The adults drink and Ray runs circles around the living room.  I didn’t think it was the family that was getting to me, but something was.
Fortunately it all worked out for the best.  Frank (Freeman’s brother) and his wife Jenn came into town Wednesday night and headed to the mountain.  They arrived to find the “cabin” too small and no snow on the mountain.  It proceeded to rain all night, a nice warm rain, that sealed the deal.  No skiing trip to Crystal Mountain this Christmas.  Instead we’d go for plan ‘b’. 
Frank and Jenn spent the night with Freeman and I in Ballard on Thursday.  It was so much fun.  I haven’t really spend a lot of time with Frank and Jenn with out the rest of the family present.  We took them to the Jolly Roger, our favorite tavern in Ballard.
Friday we all headed down to Freeman’s mom’s house.  We spent Friday and Saturday there.  It was the usual Christmas shenanigans.  Lots of food, enough for 2 families, and lots of drinking, games and chatting.
Sunday morning we headed to my mom’s for Christmas day.  We all opened presents and enjoyed each other’s company.  Then I opened the gift Freeman for me.  I was shocked and amazed.  I couldn’t believe it. 
He got me a laptop. 
A laptop people!
The very thing I need for my writing.  The very thing I need to be able to take my story anywhere at anytime and write!  I have so much work to do on my story and I have been so frustrated with not having it with me all the time…this is the best gift he could have given me.  Even now my eyes tear up with the thought of being able to take it all with me.
For me, this Christmas has been very wonderful.  I can’t believe how lucky I am.