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I was let off an hour early, and we were able to get on the road with plenty of daylight left. Mom lives in Bryan, about 2 hours from here. We can usually make it faster, but we've been pulled over on that trip before and Eric wanted to be especially careful since there would probably be lots of cops out due to the holidays.
There was still a bit of light in the sky as I arrived. For some reason that made me feel better; pulling up somewhere in total darkness feels like it could be midnight as easily as 7pm to me. Then we began a comical string of failed dexterity checks. Eric lifted the crock pot I'd asked him to pack for wassail out of the trunk and the lid promptly slid off and shattered in the parking lot. I grabbed a big box of stuff, with a box of ornaments on the top, which flipped out and smacked on the ground (miraculously, no ornaments were harmed in the making of this farce). When I was pulling something out of the fridge a pot of barbecuey stuff fell out, slopping barbecue sauce all over the bottom shelf and the floor in front of the fridge. Blech. But we got things cooking in time for my brother to eat while he watched us unwrap presents. He had to be to work the next day, so he was planning to leave as soon as he'd greeted us.
Mom gave us the usual assortment of candy that she likes to give (chocolate orange, chocolate covered cherries, candy bars, etc.- yeah, we show our love with food, what of it?!) that I hope to stretch out for at least a month or two. Bro got me a few cool little trinkety things like a tiny flashlight that you clip to your keychain that had a very bright blue LED. Plus a gift certificate to Home Depot! He liked the rainbowy candle I got him, and I promised to make him one with the bear flag on it later.
Mom went overboard as usual- I've been trying very hard to help her realize that I know she loves me even without giving me so much stuff, but she does not make any effort to change. The base materialistic part of me enjoys getting stuff, so I can't fake indifference when I open a package to reveal something I love- so for lack of any better ideas I'm going to quit fighting it. But I'm trying to lead by example and just give her a few home made things, which she loves. She got me a Galileo thermometer- I've always wanted one of those. She also got me some clothes, including a black velvet dress which she swears I pointed out to her in a catalog, but I have no idea what I am going to do with a formal, long sleeve velvet dress. Wear it around the house while I'm filling the bird feeders and pretend I'm a decadent millionaire, I guess. Then I got a gift certificate to the local witchy store. Yay! Bro had left, so we ate dinner, talked for awhile, and went to bed.
There was still a bit of light in the sky as I arrived. For some reason that made me feel better; pulling up somewhere in total darkness feels like it could be midnight as easily as 7pm to me. Then we began a comical string of failed dexterity checks. Eric lifted the crock pot I'd asked him to pack for wassail out of the trunk and the lid promptly slid off and shattered in the parking lot. I grabbed a big box of stuff, with a box of ornaments on the top, which flipped out and smacked on the ground (miraculously, no ornaments were harmed in the making of this farce). When I was pulling something out of the fridge a pot of barbecuey stuff fell out, slopping barbecue sauce all over the bottom shelf and the floor in front of the fridge. Blech. But we got things cooking in time for my brother to eat while he watched us unwrap presents. He had to be to work the next day, so he was planning to leave as soon as he'd greeted us.
Mom gave us the usual assortment of candy that she likes to give (chocolate orange, chocolate covered cherries, candy bars, etc.- yeah, we show our love with food, what of it?!) that I hope to stretch out for at least a month or two. Bro got me a few cool little trinkety things like a tiny flashlight that you clip to your keychain that had a very bright blue LED. Plus a gift certificate to Home Depot! He liked the rainbowy candle I got him, and I promised to make him one with the bear flag on it later.
Mom went overboard as usual- I've been trying very hard to help her realize that I know she loves me even without giving me so much stuff, but she does not make any effort to change. The base materialistic part of me enjoys getting stuff, so I can't fake indifference when I open a package to reveal something I love- so for lack of any better ideas I'm going to quit fighting it. But I'm trying to lead by example and just give her a few home made things, which she loves. She got me a Galileo thermometer- I've always wanted one of those. She also got me some clothes, including a black velvet dress which she swears I pointed out to her in a catalog, but I have no idea what I am going to do with a formal, long sleeve velvet dress. Wear it around the house while I'm filling the bird feeders and pretend I'm a decadent millionaire, I guess. Then I got a gift certificate to the local witchy store. Yay! Bro had left, so we ate dinner, talked for awhile, and went to bed.
