26 December 2001
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Wow. How tired am I? I'm finally back in my apartment, and while it's only 8:30 p.m., I'm convinced the world is tricking me. It's past midnight, right? So, I rescind my statement - Pittsburgh is an amazing city. It was dark by the time we got close to the city limits, and when we came out the other side of the tunnel of I-79, I was breathtaken. You drive through this mile long tunnel, and on one end it's just rural-ish, outskirty suburban Pennsylvania, and then on the other side, BAM there's this city and it's all lit up and the rivers are crossing over each other and you don't know where to look first. It was a whirlwind of meeting friends and family and of trips to the airport to pick up siblings. On Sunday night I ate a wonderful dinner, and I'm pretty sure I drank an entire bottle of chardonny. I woke up on Monday feeling a tad hung over (see wine consumption) and drove back to my mom's, all by my lonesome. The flurries followed me west on I-70, and I got home about an hour or so before my huge, loud family began arriving for our annual Christmas Eve gathering. Merriment ensued and my mother and I stayed up until the wee hours wrapping presents. Then, well, then I got really sick. Like, throwing-up-every-hour-falling-asleep-crying-on-the-bathroom-floor sick. I didn't get to eat brunch with my siblings and I sat weak and tired as we all opened presents. Don't you fret though, I still enjoyed tearing off wrapping paper. My mom got me books and frames and fun new fleece pajamas with paw prints on them. The Little Peep wore a Santa hat that barely fit over his melon head, and it broke my heart having to keep my distance. Damn you sickness! The t.v. we bought for my mom and stepfather went over famously. As they cleaned up from brunch my brother and stepbrother II snuck out to get the television while the rest of us kept our parents out of the den. My brother and I got it all set up and arranged the VCR and things back on the stand as they had them before. After we all went into the living room my mom realized she hadn't done the stockings yet, and I convinced her that we HAD to do stockings first, so off she went to the den to grab them. We all sat there, ears straining and heard - nothing. Stepbrother 2 asked his dad for something, so stepfather got up and went off to the den to retrieve it. Only then did we hear my mom squealing, so we ran off to the other room to see them staring at the t.v. laughing. Evidently when my stepfather walked in he immediately said, Why does the t.v. look so high? And when my mom turned around, she noticed. Power of observations, much? But they were thrilled and it was fun to give it to them. The Little Peep made out like a bandit, and I'm sure his parents are regret mentioning that he loves music. I didn't even know they made so many musical toys. After we got everything unwrapped and the piles of paper thrown away I camped out for several episodes of Trading Spaces. I must've explained the premise 20 times, and the only comments anyone really had were about Hilde. Typical, right? That afternoon we went over to my aunt's house to open more presents and to eat dinner. Usually we play games, but I was still feeling meek, so we left fairly early. But the twins? They turned two yesterday and they are truly amazing. They're talking and learning so fast, and it blows my mind that when they came here they were so far behind. Now they're far ahead. And to top it off, so well-mannered. When they want you to pick them up they say "Up, please" and Sam is so in love with Winnie the Pooh. My grandmother gave him a purple (his favorite color) Pooh lunchbox and his face lit up like it was, well, Christmas. It's wonderful to have babies in the family again. I drove back to Columbus early this morning and my dad, brother and I had our gift exchange. I got the ring from Tiffany that I've been coveting, and my finger asked me how it survived naked for so long. G had to leave pretty early to head back to Chicago and my dad and I spent the afternoon on my couch glued to Legally Blonde and Friends Vols. 3 & 4, as the snow fell in giant flakes outside my window. Tomorrow it's back to work I go, hopefully for just a brief day. After all, it will probably just be me in my building. Last year I took Thursday off entirely and spent about 2 hours there on Friday, and I lasted the longest. So, I'm not expecting to work full days. Then on Sunday, it's off to Atlanta. Thank Santa for the new tires. The notify wishes you a Happy 2002.
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