Christmas Time is Here Again...

...and it doesn't feel quite right. Usually by this time I'm all giddy and happy, love going shopping and getting presents for my friends, and can't wait until Christmas Eve. This year I'm merely content... that's not the right word... restless... that's better. I'm not excited, not giddy, and with all the snow we've had, I haven't even had the urge to attempt a snowman. Shopping for gifts was more out of habit than anything. And Christmas Eve... it's just another day. Sad, isn't it?

It seems as though all the Christmas Traditions are gone as well. I wanted to go get a real tree this year like we use to. We didn't. The Nativity Count Down didn't even get mentioned. The chocolate Christmas count down was forgotten. Decorating the tree was... bad. Christmas lights are dwindling; no giant candy cane sticks making a lighted walkway, no light arch hanging off the quakie. I think... well... I hope that there is one tradition that will carry through: opening an ornament on Christmas Eve. But there will only be four of us instead of twelve. And I'm wondering if we're going to go to the Christmas Breakfast... we didn't go last year.

I haven't gone sledding or anything in the snow with my friends. Come to think of it, I haven't really done anything with my friends, period. My social life consists of talking to a few people in the morning at drill (Jeans is always one of them); David, Jo, Ryan, and Mr. Bake during band; and Loni in seminary. Then the occasional people that I just say hi to in the halls: Wheeler, Austin, Michael, Elijah. And that's about it for my social life. I guess if you wanted to you could count the all the unanswered texts I send, but I don't. It's like talking to a brick wall.

Jeans and I decided to take a last minute Christmas shopping run to Cortez on Tuesday, right after school gets out... well, before school gets out, right after the assembly. But shopping is just an excuse. We both want to get out of Blanding. We wanted to do a weekend road trip, but we're both almost completely broke, so we're just going to go one day. We'll also get to see Mark while we're there. That will be somewhat of a relief: hanging out with a friend outside of Blanding. Originally Jeans and I were going to runaway to Maui or Hawaii. But we figured we better graduate first in case we don't make it back. Not that either of us would really mind being stuck in Maui or Hawaii, but you know how it goes.

Now don't get me wrong. I love Blanding. I love Christmas. I love all my friends in Blanding, especially at Christmas. But it's just not right this year. I guess you could call me a Scrooge or a Grinch, or even a Scrinchy Grooge, but I just can't get into Christmas. I know, I know. "Christmas isn't about receiving; it's about giving" and "It's not the price of the gift that matters." But that's not really what I'm talking about. I guess I just miss not having my family at Christmas; I miss all the fun, silly traditions we had; I miss being little and not being able to control my excitement for Christmas because it had the greatest feeling in the world for me; I miss feeling that everything seemed right around Christmas time; but most of all, I miss my friends. And Christmas time hurts the most when you've lost a friend...

White Shirts

I have a serious issue with white shirts. I'll do just fine wearing a white shirt. My day will go by without incident. But if I'm wearing a white shirt, guaranteed something will happen. When I was at Region tennis, we went to a football game. I wore my white Royals shirt. After the game, we were walking to the vehicle (I was actually going home with my parents, but walking with the other girls). The girl in front of me stepped off the curb onto the grass. Only it wasn't grass, and it wasn't just a few inches down. It was a long way down, and it was a mud puddle. Now don't ask me how it happened, but it did. Something that only happens in movies. When she stepped down, mud splashed up and completely covered me; pants, shirt, face, everything. I honestly don't know how it splashed up that high. And it didn't even get her muddy, just me!!

So today, I was wearing a white shirt. For lunch, I was drinking chocolate milk. And I was being so so careful. I sat down at the table and set my drink down. I had triumphed. ...or so I though... My mom looked at me and gasped.

"What?" I asked and she just continued to stare. I looked down. Lo and behold, it was my shirt. Chocolate milk stained my shirt from the neck, down the left side, to the bottom. How that happened, again, I have no idea. I had been watching the milk the whole time and hadn't spilled a drop. Of course, it wouldn't have happened if I had been wearing a colored shirt. It never happens when I wear a colored shirt. Things always happen to me when I'm wearing a white shirt. Go figure. Like I said, I have issues with white shirts.

This doesn't look as bad. When it happened (about twelve hours ago) it looked a lot worse. And no, I didn't stay in this shirt, I did changed for the rest of the day.

Chicken Fried

I've only been listening to my ipod as of late, and there are very few songs that I'm in the mood to hear on that. I guess you could say I've been listening to my "It's Not Fair" playlist (though I haven't actually named a playlist that... yet). But today I actually got to drive the Bronco--I've had very limited vehicle access since the Cadillac was totaled and my mom now has run of the Bronco. Plus, my motorcycle parts haven't gotten here, so I've just got my feet (and Dallas' truck when he's kind enough to give me a ride and I'm not stubborn enough to refuse).

So I was on my way home from work, listening to the radio and a song came on that I actually really like, but haven't heard in a while. It's called Chicken Fried.

A little bit of chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair a jeans that fit just right
And the radio on

I love to see the sunrise
See the love in my woman's eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother's love

That's just the chorus, quite catchy actually, but the whole song is really good. (Sorry, Dallas. It's country. You wouldn't like it.) It put me in, not necessarily a good mood, but a better mood than what I've been in lately.

Funny how it`s the little things in life that mean the most

Just a few of the little things I thought of that make life great (I'll steal a few from the song):
Chicken Fried (I love chicken)
Jeans that fit just right (the best)
Radio (come on, belt it out!)
Sunrises (I see few)
Sunsets
Good friends (that take anything you throw at them)
A mother's love (can't beat that)
Rain (Always loved it)
Early mornings (I'm wide awake while everyone else is still groggy)
The Bronco (I think my brothers will agree)
Snow
Hot Chocolate
Rain
Spring
Leaves in the fall (buckhorns especially)
Good friends
Dancing
Rain
My dog (She looks like a Twinkie now)
A smile
Rings (all jewelry, actually)
Good friends
Feeling flexible
A true, unforced laugh
Good friends

These are some of the little things that mean so much to me. Yeah, there's more, but I'll just let you get the idea. And yes, I did repeat some things. I hope you now understand that I do like rain :) Even if you're in a bad mood, you can still find some chicken fried. ;)

Crowing

I just had to put a note about my dad's chickens. They aren't full grown yet, but they're getting there. One of the roosters is really confused. He's learning to crow, and he's pretty good at it now. The thing is, he crows in the evening instead of the morning. :)

Thanksgiving

Well, I had a really good Thanksgiving, for the most part. All my brothers came (except Beau in Mexico). Chris set up the X-Box and wouldn't leave me alone until I played Battle Front with him. It is a really fun game, I must admit. I love playing it, and probably wasted too much time doing that. But, hey, it's the holidays, right?
Jeannie and I had a girl's night on Wednesday, which we both needed very badly. That was great.
Thanksgiving dinner was in-cred-ible!! Chris and my dad deep-fried the turkey, and, oh my heck, it was the best I have ever, EVER had.
I really enjoyed the break (though I didn't catch up on sleep at all). And then it got to Friday. Jeannie and I went on a double date. *Exhale of Anger* It was horrid! I won't go into details, but Jeans called me at midnight after we had gotten home, and we talked for over a half hour. We are both so annoy, more than annoyed, with guys right now. All guys. Simply for being guys. That's how bad it was. So, nothing personal to the guys, but you're not on my (or Jeannie's) good side right now.

Other than that, Thanksgiving was a blast!!