'Tis the season

I'm barely hanging in there. Someone send some energy my way please!

Normally I'd say I wouldn't have it any other way, but I think this year I got defeated. Holiday season - 1, Leah - 0.

Work family friends work family friends. All I want for Christmas is some sleep now that I look back on the past few days.

I worked right up until the closing shift on Christmas Eve. The customers were absolute dolls, which was highly appreciated, no doubt. I did, however, have some wacky procrastinators that day....but it wasn't Christmas for which they were slow on preparing, it was their own weddings.

Insane bride no. 1 came up to me in a panic...she was getting married in an hour and would like my assistance in picking out some pantyhose for her. Looking at her you wouldn't have been able to tell she was getting married so soon...her hair wasn't done up or anything. Maybe I was more excited than she was even. "What are you still doing in the mall?!" I wanted to exclaim. Couldn't one of her bridesmaids have gone and done her errands for her earlier that week or something? Luckily we figured out the whole pantyhose situation quickly and she was happily on her way. Hopefully she didn't have anything else to pick up like, oh I don't know, her wedding shoes or even worse, her dress.

Insane bride no. 2 approached me as I was closing my tills at the end of the day. Somehow she got the notion that she wanted long dress gloves to go with her wedding dress. Unfortunately for her, my store doesn't carry such things.

"Oh, well do you know where else I could possibly get them in the mall?"

"Ummmm, maybe Bryan's, Claire's, or even Ardene's. But I'm afraid they're most likely closed for the evening."

Holy crap, I swear if any of my friends ends up being similar to either bride no. 1 or no. 2 I'm disowning them. This is only supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life and here you are running around at the last minute for stupid stupid things. Go barelegged! Your dress is probably long enough they won't even know. Who cares that you're not wearing long gloves? Shouldn't the focus be on YOU and your dress?

Oi vay.

Anyway, Christmas was beautiful. Family, family friends, good food, good company. Lana was absolutely adorable in her Christmas dress. People ask me what did I get for Christmas or what was my favorite/best present and to be honest I go blank when people ask me that. I loved my presents, but nothing really stood out as THE best or anything. I got some Victoria's Secret lotion, a Puma bag, some new fluffy slippers (thanks to Posie and Lana), the second and third seasons of Friends on DVD, the Cradle of Life DVD, Red Hot Chili Peppers Greatest Hits (yay!), a new sweater, a fake Rolex (*giggles*).

On second thought, I guess I do have a favorite present. My darling baby sister gave me a beaded necklace that she had made as well as a miniature book entitled "Hugs for Sisters." Yes, her presents are always the best. Somedays she'll drop a little picture she drew or a note she jotted into my purse. It's the little things she does, at a time when I don't think I have enogh time to give her the attention and companionship she deserves, that reassure me that our bond is as strong as ever. And I absolutely love her for that.

Christmas Eve party over here, Christmas Day party over there. Too much food, too much eggnog, too much, too much. All in all Christmas came and went too fast. 5:30 in the morning on Boxing Day my brother, Weird Kid, wakes me up.

"You joining me shopping?"

Sweet heaven have mercy.

Like a sucker chump good sister I tagged along. Paaaaaaaaain. Unlike last year when I bought my TV, thus having an actual focus for Boxing Day shopping, I had nothing that I really needed/wanted to buy. I ended up plucking the Snatch DVD, TLC's Now and Forever, and Ruben Studdard's Soulful. Yeah, woke up before the crack of dawn only to get a DVD and 2 CDs. I went into an aching mindless daze after that.

Yes, I started whining about wanting to go back home to sleep. I had to work at 1:15 and it would be very nice to get some more sleep before then.

We ended up stopping by Future Shop and Wal-Mart on the way home. I didn't buy anything. (What is wrong with me?) Actually, I was casually scoping out whether or not there were Boxing Day prices on iPods but no such luck. It's as if the whole city sold out of them for Christmas! Either that or they were pulled off the floor for Boxing Day.

Work wasn't painful at all. HUGE surprise. The mall was a zoo. Someone told me 100,000 people shopped at my mall that day. Thank goodness I didn't even see half a percent of those customers in my department. And again the customers were saints. I ought to be counting my blessings.

And like a sucker glutton for punishment I ended up heading out for noshies with Daisy after work. Never mind that I was exhausted beyond all pain.

Then another day at work (yesterday) Boxing Day-style. Again, fairly painless. Blessing no. 383. And then it was yet another party for my grandaunt's birthday-slash-45th wedding anniversary with granduncle. But I lucked out on having only one party to attend that day. While I was at work there was another party, an uncle's birthday party, that went down at lunchtime. So basically my family didn't eat at home all day minus breakfast.

Then today there was a christening party my family was attending. Actually having some smarts about me, I finally declined an invitation. Mom, feeling the same pain as me, skipped out on the party as well. Ahhh, some rest. Too bad now I'm getting a scratchy throat. :(

But I guess my mom and I were too restless to actually appreciate the downtime and we traipsed off to Wal-Mart together to go buy some odds and ends. So much for resting.

And that has been my holidays thus far. Hope all of you are experiencing the same holiday joy/exhaustion I am. Sure it's tiring, but it only happens once a year so enjoy it while it's here. Now if I could just get enough sleep between work and family so I can be all funky-fresh-dressed-ready-to-party for New Year's Eve. Homestretch!