Christmas Day, and is it New Year's yet???
To start off I had a great Christmas Day.Saturday the 23rd I was in work mode. I flew to LA to do a shoot for a bike magazine and then some vids for a bike website. The day started for me around 930am, that's when I arrived at LAX. And was done when I returned back at the airport around 630pm. However, with delays, I actually didn't leave until after 10pm, so needles to say, I was "dead" tired when I got to the Oakland airport. But my "sorry" moment flew away once I saw my Mom wearing her Santa hat and rolling around the baggage area on a "borrowed" wheel chair that she had no use for, she was just playing around like a kid.
Of course, my luggage was late and there where grumblings from all passengers, but for the most part, everyone was dealing well and keeping up with the Christmas spirit. Once we got home, Mom and I sank into the couch and jabbered like a pair of teenagers....
And yes, I slept in Sunday morning, all the way to noon, only to be awakened by my Mom's cats walking all over me and wanting attention, oh, and my Mom yelling at me to get my "Ass Up"...
My Grandmother and Aunt arrived around 3pm and they where loaded with enough food to feed an army. It was great, and I was in the mood to feed! Later that evening my brother arrived and we hung out for a few hours. He's gotten so tall, and there's whiskers on his face. It just seems like I don't see enough of him through out the year, we're going to have to change that.
My Grandmother and Aunt arrived around 3pm and they where loaded with enough food to feed an army. It was great, and I was in the mood to feed! Later that evening my brother arrived and we hung out for a few hours. He's gotten so tall, and there's whiskers on his face. It just seems like I don't see enough of him through out the year, we're going to have to change that.
The smells coming from the kitchen where great, Mom was cooking a beef roast and turkey roast for the Christmas Day feast and if she wasn't looking I would have sliced me a few pieces, but she was lurking about the kitchen so it was a no-go. Bummer. However, we did have a great Christmas Eve mini-feast. With all the food Grandma brought, we where eating chicken wings, egg rolls, meats and cheeses, pork fried rice, pies, breads.... etc It was awesome!
After we had our fill, we gathered in the living room and watched all sorts of corny Christmas movies and shows..... We've seen the same every year, but they are part of the celebration and have become "family". Then Mom put on Ice Age, and we all where having a laugh-fest. Neither my Grandmother or my Aunt had seen the movie, so watching them act like kids and nearly busting a gut, you know it was a great time. I think we stopped the movie twice because some of us had to rush to the potty we where laughing so hard. I think we where laughing at each other more than the movie. That was fun.
So here was Christmas Day, December 25th, and Mom was hard at work getting coffee brewing and preparing our traditional Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits. OMG! It's so good. For those of you that are country folk you will probably know about this Choco Gravy. For those of you that can't seem to wrap your brain around the "gravy" part, believe me it's awesome good. Dad had left around 830 am to head out to see his kids and play Santa. He goes to their house every Christmas and brings them tons of gifts. This year it was less gifts and more of the electronic stuff and gift cards = more money..... lol
Later that morning we where surprised with a call from my "grandpa" whom we call with great affection Papa Carl. He and his family called from Arkansas and we shared some great laughs and gossip. But what was the coolest was that they where also having the traditional Choco Gravy and Biscuits. Yep, the family was in sync. I miss them. Papa Carl just lost his best friend and life companion of a gazillion years not too long ago. Tante Jean was an awesome woman. She could put the fear of God in your soul and be the sweetest woman with the great hugs and kisses. I love my Tante Jean, I really miss her. After we spent nearly an hour talking on the phone, it was time for football. Grandma isn't much into football, but she watched the game with me and was "feeling" all the tackles and screw ups. She was talking to the TV as if the players could hear her. I guess she's really one of us after all, she just doesn't know it..lol Dad got back in time to see the Grandma-show!
Now one of the things that's most noticeable during the Holidays are the smells that wander about the house when there's cooking going on, so you know Mama was working hard at putting together a superb feast. By the time 3pm arrived, the table was set, the food was ready to jump in my belly and....... my brother was no where in sight. Can I just say that I was not a happy camper!!! So after a few phone calls with the last one nearly removing the roof, he walks in with presents. I forgave him!
Oh yes, presents. It was agreed that we would not be exchanging presents this Christmas. I was all for that. My wallet was empty after my passport was stamped nearly a dozen times this year, so agreeing was not an issue. So when my brother showed up with presents I felt a twinge of guilt which disappeared after a few seconds. He didn't get the memo apparently. Oh, but get this, the only presents that where under the tree where the ones that Dad had put there for his kids, and he took those when he left. So when Mom goes to put the Bro's presents under the tree, she discovers two gifts. She pulls them out and what do you know, they where both for her.... AND they where from the CATS - Monkey Doodle and Mama Kitty. She laughed and was pissed all at the same. Boy did Dad get an ear full as well as tons of kisses and hugs. Sometimes I don't know about those two.
So after taking a handful of pictures of the Chirstmas decorated table, you know how Granny's can be, we all sat down and gave Thanks. My brother and I where strategically placed near the kitchen so he and I played waiter/waitress for a bit. And because we didn't have the extra chairs, Mom pulled out the computer chairs with wheels and my Bro and I where wheeling everywhere. Yes, I will always be a kid, so there. NYAH! And so we ate and laughed and shared a bunch of nonsense and gossip and just had a great time. Mom was a Hero, the food was awesome and she made enough for some serious leftovers.
Once we cleared the table, it was picture time. We all dutifully sat in front of the Christmas Tree which was decorated very minimalistic, that's another way of saying that decorating the tree wasn't Mom's priority this year...lol After some family posing and stuff, my brother and I started acting up and being the siblings that we are and Mom took advantage and started taking pictures. It was great, we where hamming it up for the camera and having some great laughs too.
Mom suddenly remembered that there where PRESENTS!! and she turned 10 years old. It was great watching her tear open her gifts, specially since they where from the cats.... lol She got a watch and a Dust Buster. My brother gave her picture frames, my Dad got shoes which didn't fit...lol and I got some Victoria Secrets perfume, oils, lotions.... you know girly stuff. My brother told me his girlfriend got the goodies for me, so as far as I'm concerned I take back any silly thing I said about her.
By this time it was 630pm and my Aunt and Grandma had to leave. My Aunt had to work the next day and it was going to be a 3 1/2 hour drive back to Fresno. So, they grabbed half the left over food and packed up the car and took off. It was great seeing them both. I only get to see them once, maybe twice a year so spending time with them is very special.
My brother left a few hours later. It was great hanging out with him and catching up. We definitely have to do this more often.
And so it was just my Mom and Dad and the cats. Dad is the quiet type, so it was Mom and I that kept the noise going. She and I made several trips to the kitchen to check on the food, really, just checking on the food..... he he he! After Dad went to bed, Mom and I stayed up to watch a movie but quickly realized that our brains had hit the snooze button and the movie was history.
So here it was the 26th. I spent most of the next day catching up with friends and fine tuning my updated website. My Mom is the webmaster of my site, though she does get some assistance from a professional. However, she and I poured over how the layout was looking and making any adjustments that were needed. Needless to say, she's proficient enough that there wasn't much that had to be done. By the way, come January 1st, check my site, I thinks it's awesome cool!
I flew back to Vegas around 8pm and got to LAS in time to find my luggage had not arrived. Can I just tell you that I was in a serious pissy mood!!! My friend Monique came to pick me up and had been waiting for me for nearly two hours... It was insane, and I wasn't the only one. There where a bunch of us ready to commit Hari Kari!!! That's when Monique and I decided, we needed to find the nearest watering hole and console ourselves. Nothing like a few glasses of wine to make peace with the world. I finally got my luggage the next day.
And so here I am, December 28. Back at the airport. Yep, I'm off to Pennsylvania, Baby! I'm hanging out with my great friend Keith and his Posse and we're taking in the Ravens / Bills game in a few days. Woo Hoo! Are we going to have some fun or what?!?!?!?!
I'm stoked. This will the second live game I've attended. My first was the 49rs and Packers game nearly ten years ago, and now this one. So I'm rooting for the Ravens since the Posse are Raven fans. If the Colts where playing, we'd be at war....lol I get in late tonight, and so far my laptop is getting a work out.
There's so much to look forward to in 2007, I can't wait. My wishes for you are to stay healthy, keep love in your heart, be optimistic and be safe. I raise my glass to you.
Happy New Year!
Sara
posted by Sara Walker at
12:10 PM
|
0 Comments
