One More Sleep 'Till Christmas

As it turned out, I wasn't able to go to Cape May County after all. Rose wanted to leave as early as she could so she could come back by nightfall and still have time to spend with the family. It takes an hour and a half to get to North Cape May from Oaklyn, longer if you factor in holiday traffic, and 3:45 just would not have left us enough "family time."

I was still a little depressed at work. It wasn't as busy as I figured it would be (the lines weren't half-way across the store), but it was busy enough that work went fast. Karen Beth, the co-worker who got my Pollyanna gift, loved the cute Christmas potholder, sugar cookie mix, and snowflake-shaped cookie cutter I gave her. The delighted look on her face when she unwrapped it lifted my spirits a bit.

My spirits continued to lift as I headed home. I changed into something that wasn't a royal-blue polo Acme shirt and khakis, dropped off my landlady and neighbors' Christmas gifts (Miss Ellie is getting cupcakes; my neighbors got cranberry bread), and headed over to my dad's girlfriend's house for her big Christmas Eve party.

I had a better time at the party this year than last year, maybe because I knew everyone a little better. In addition to Jodie's teenage sons and their friends and various cousins, grandparents, and siblings, we also had Dad, Uncle Ken, Uncle Ken's girlfriend Dolores, his grown son Mark, Mark's girlfriend Vanessa, my stepsister Jessa, and Jessa's best friend and Vanessa's daughter Brittany, and Jodie's next-door neighbor (and mother of my friend Erica) Helen.

There was tons of food. I had chocolate chip cookies, mini soft pretzels, meatballs, celery, broccoli, dip, cheese, pepperoni, ham, sugar cookies, and enough ginger ale that I'm surprised I haven't floated away yet. I chatted with everyone, giggled with Jessa and Brittany, and complimented Jodie on her spread.

For anyone who will be too busy to be online tomorrow or unable to get to the Internet, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays! :D