Let's Stay Up 'Til 2012

I still have one more day in Colorado before I go back to D.C. but I think it's safe to go ahead and rule the holidays a success. Meat&CheeseOnly (I really think I need to open up voting on this, since he's stopped ordering food this way--probably because having that as your blog nickname is enough to give anyone a complex) came to Colorado with me this year and partook of the awesomeness.

One of the high points of said awesomeness was visiting Trina. Even though Trina is having her second baby (due right around McO's birthday) this is the first time I've ever seen her pregnant. My brain still can't conceptualize this. We don't "pregnant"; we "macaroni and cheese" and "student government" and "homecoming." Oh yar, that was ten years ago. Oopsie doo. Probably I also can't conceptualize this because even though she's 8 month pregnant she's still all ridiculously cute--just, you know, smuggling a volleyball. When I get pregnant I plan to grow so large I develop my own gravitation field so that food is actually, forcibly pulled into my immediate area. Actually, this is an off-and-on life goal of mine that has nothing to do with pregnancy. It's probably good to prepare for it now though, since not everyone can look like Jennifer Connelly when they're pregnant.

So, anyway, speaking of smuggling. What did I get for Christmas? This is infinitely more interesting than "what are my new year's resolutions?" since I don't make resolutions. I think the last time I did it was something like, "I resolve to not get hit by a Smart Car in France," which is (literally) setting the bar really low. So no more of that horsepucky.

I got lots and lots of great and amazing things from my friends and family, lots of great books and DVDs especially.

McO got me my red KitchenAid mixer! I can stop entering Pioneer Woman's contests (well, the mixer ones anyway)! I can't wait to go home and use it. I'm making that man a chocolate cake when I get home. And some cookies. And a pie!

Here is a terrible short story featuring my christmas gifts.

Once upon a time Benny and Joon packed their red travel bag and filled their antique thermos with tea in preparation for a journey to Super Mario Galaxy II. Those were Simple Times, and from the Inception of the trip they couldn't imagine they were in Jeopardy!. While Benny was checking his James McNair cookbook for directions (which is probably why they were lost), Joon was attacked by a vampire. WHAM! She struck him with her ebelskiver pan, and then again with her hefty John Steinbeck collection, while Benny quickly used the garlic press to form a poultice for her wounds. She was mostly healed, but they felt better after drinking a bottle of homemade wine and eating some chocolate.

Was that terrible? I'm sorry.

I also learned that I have to be careful what I ask for, because I facetiously told my grandfather I wanted deer brains, dirty socks, snails, and a dog fart for Christmas and he gave me a box that said "3 out of 4 ain't too bad" and had a tab on the top that said "pull gently on loop to view gift." He's a veterinarian, so I should really have known better than to ask for... well... any of those things, but the dog fart in particular.

Some people may think that this is a bad gift (dirty socks?), but I'm telling you, I'm honored to receive socks full of snails and dog farts (please do not question the logistics of this). Please tell me anyone you know whose grandfather goes to such lengths to find every item on their wish list? I know love when I see it. ♥ If I didn't think I'd be arrested by homeland security for carrying that on a plane, I might have brought it home.

Maybe.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!