Holiday Visits

Family bustles through the front door the day after Christmas, bursting bags cradled in their arms. It's dark outside and lights glisten in the damp air. No time to eat. Grab a quick drink then drop onto the sofa. Time to exchange gifts.

Laughter bounces off the walls, hugs abound, and joy is everywhere.

What's it going to be like when I'm my parent's age? And what was it like for them at our age?
Questions, answers, and more laughter.

People have become NICE. Like a contagious infection, it has spread from person to person throughout the holiday season, until everyone smiles. And also like an infection, it will be "cured." Is the cure better than the disease?

I wish the NICE disease didn't have to disappear until next year. Is there anyway to make it last?

Christmas Surprise

The boys have been home from college since Monday (today's Wednesday.) The house has become strewn with stuff. Their stuff. It's hard to move with the clutter. The Christmas decorations remain in the attic. The boys wander around town. And the 25th is in a week.

I love my boys. But sometimes...OK, so this afternoon I blew up - just a little. I'm sure Jimmy was kidding when he said everyone around him reacted to my yelling at him over the phone. And Tom was screwing the Superman plate onto the front of the truck.

So I headed out to run some errands. Which I still haven't gotten done because of the phone call.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Tom."

"I put my foot through the ceiling."

"What?"

"I was up in the attic and slipped. My leg went through the ceiling at the top of the stairs."

"You OK?"

"Yup."

Silence.

I grinned, imagining his incredibly long leg sticking through the ceiling.

I cringed, thinking of the mess that needs to get cleaned up.

I groaned at the amount of work to repair the hole, then repaint the entire ceiling!

After rushing home to grab my camera, Tom displayed his work of art. Then out came the vacuum and the cleaning commenced.

Tom tried to surprise me by getting the decorations down by himself. All I can say is, I'm surprised!

I gave him a huge hug.

Vacation Post-Mortum

As you might know, my family went to Topsail Island for holiday on Thanksgiving week. It was a very interesting challenge for the first several days. While all of us enjoyed each others company, the 1,000 piece puzzle that Mark succeeded in finishing (yeah Mark!), and touch football on the beach, it was not without it's down side.

For example, the realty company was completely non-responsive to our issues, and we needed to continually go to their office and complain. I HATE chronic complainers - and both my husband and I became one.

Why?

Here's a short list.

1- We were locked out of the house for an hour when we first arrived. Agents didn't give us instructions for the combination lock on the door. Took 30 minutes just to get an agent on the telephone.

Time to get resolved: 1 hour sitting in the drizzling cold

2 - Hot tub dirty, water slimy, hot tub cover ripped with pieces hanging in the water.

Time to get resolved: 3 days (and it still wouldn't heat higher than 91)

3- Bathrooms dirty, soap scum, hair balls in the drains, urine in the toilets.

Time to get resolved: 3 days (and three visits to the rental office)

4- Internet not working and rental agency "tech guy" didn't understand that the problem was at the service provider side and not the house side - even though we told him again and again.

Time to get resolved: Thanks to the involvement of my husband, 3 days (if he hadn't, it would not have been fixed.)

5- Rental company NEVER returned any phone calls.

OK, enough griping. Yes, the list can go on for, yikes, 14 more items. At least that's what we have listed in the letter we're sending them tomorrow.

But through it all, we had fun being together. It just goes to show that family and friends are so much more valuable than "things," although those "things" can sure make life more comfortable. So when people ask me how our Thanksgiving was, I respond with smile and say, "Wonderful."

All a Twitter

There's been much talk lately about Twitter. It's being compared to the status line of facebook, but one where you can update your status via cell phones and computers. Why Twitter? I'm not sure but I've signed up and invited all my writing friends to join me. This way we might be able to help keep each other on track with our works. Or maybe not.

I've also read an article where Twitter was being used for business advertising and promotions. Hum. Guess you'd really need to focus on not interjecting anything really personal on your status. HA! I began Facebook with the intent of making it a business venture but alas, it turned into fun, games, and keeping up with my friends. I wonder if Twitter will work for me?

Have any of you Twittered lately? I'd love to hear from you.