For The Holidays You Can't BE Home Sweet Home

Up until about age 14, I thought that's what this song said. Those singers need to enunciate. Or I need to listen.

Anyway, it's starting to really look like I can't be home for the holidays. My flight is supposed to leave Phoenix tomorrow at 2:15 to head to Denver, where I would make a connection and fly right on into the minuscule airport in my hometown. However, if you've been paying attention to the weather over the past couple days, you'd know that the Denver airport has been shut down due to snow. For two days. TWO DAYS! If you were me, at work this morning you would have received no less than nine calls in an hour and a half from your brother, sister, mom and dad informing you of that fact and/or updating you on the latest Denver rumors and wanting to know how you are going to get home. United airlines has cancelled over 2,000 flights. And since I am of course flying United, we'll see just how far away from home for the holidays I might end up.

On a happier note, I finished my Christmas shopping. The last gift I bought was for the annual gift exchange that my sister and I have with our cousin Cassie. My mom's side of the family is heavy on the boy cousins (us girls are outnumbered 2 to 1), so Haley, Cassie, and I have kind of created our own holiday traditions. Thanksgivings are dedicated to marathon games of Trivial Pursuit, while Christmas is reserved for Friends/Lost/movie marathons and, of course, our little gift exchange.

Because we all know each other so well, it's one of the few holiday gift situations where you can expect to get a great gift. Haley and I understand that Cassie does not like knick-knacks, stuffed animals, or cucumbers. My dislikes include (in addition to tacky knick-knacks) hot dogs, taco seasoning, and people who lie. Haley abhors meat products, the conservative party, and the Midwest*. However, we all rather enjoy books and cd's, tasteful silver jewelry, and sarcasm. It's an optimal gifting/getting situation.

On that note, friends, I will wish you all a very merry Christmas! I hope you get to spend it with the people you love.














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* I cannot weigh in on Haley's affinity for knick-knacks, as many years ago she harbored a great affection for her porcelain unicorn collection. I would assume she no longer has these feelings, thus I would be reticent to purchase such items for her, but again, I can't be sure.
** My dad and I built that fireplace one winter. And if you could more clearly see the ceiling of the screened in porch through those windows, you would be able to see the aluminum soffit that I put in a few years back. Oh that's right.