A Beautiful Ending to a Crazy Year

Mike and I hosted an “Open Bar” last night.
Sounds funny, I know.
But since we’re in Kansas City visiting family and friends,
We don’t have access to our own home, so we hosted our party at “The Blue Moose”, a Bar and Grill.
A “Come when you can, Go when you have to” sort of an affair.
We’re all so busy this time of year, commitments overwhelm us and this seemed the perfect solution.

I can’t tell you what a blast we had!
20 or more of our old friends and neighbors showed up,
We laughed, shared old stories and heard new; we just genuinely enjoyed ourselves.
(The abundance of cocktails flowing may have helped some I’m sure.)

But mostly what I realized last night is exactly what is important in life…
Friends.
Quality friends.

So Diane, Doug, Brent and Dini, Mr. Kurtz, Red and Karen, Robin, Shane, Craig Wright, Johnny, Mary and Don, Beth and Dave, Grant, Ludwell, Marti & Barry (we know you tried!), Thank You!
You are the kind of people who make Mike and I want to be better people ourselves!

Have a Beautiful (with just a bit of crazy in it) 2006!
We love you all.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…

It’s Christmas Eve!
I love today even more so than Christmas day.
Traditions officially begin today,
We all have our routines.
We get dressed up,
The kids are giddy and good.
We eat things like Minced Clams,
And drink fancy Cocktails.
Friends (and even foes) hug and kiss
And all is right with the world.

Even if it’s just for a couple of days…
We’ll take it.
After all…
Christmas IS the most magical time of the year!

Merry Christmas, I’ll see you all next year!

Chris
12/24/05

The Fat Man’s coming, and He’s Bringing Annoyland.

3 more days and the excitement around here is reaching a fever pitch!
The Darlings are on their best behavior.
I can actually get them to clean their rooms or pick up their clothes in just one request!
Come the day after Christmas, it will no doubt take the obligatory 3 or 4 tries before I turn to threats of bodily harm.

Today I put my Christmas check list together:

Equal presents under the tree for the kids. Check.
Approximately same amount of money spent on each. Check.
Cookies and milk for Santa, Carrots for Rudolph. Check.
Camcorder dusted off from last Christmas and charged. Check.
Batteries for cheap-ass toys that don’t include them. Check.
Arsenal of pliers, screw-drivers and heavy duty scissors for extracting toys from ever more impenetrable packaging laid out. Check.
Notice given to the local landfill of my ludicrous donation next week. Check.

According to the federal government who tracks how many people end up in emergency rooms after battling packages containing things like wire nooses twisted around dolls’ necks… 220,188 in 2004.

Holy Crap! I’ve been frustrated but never injured.
Next year…Gift cards for everyone.
Just to stay on the “Safe” side!

Insomnia

Definition (Merriam-Webster):
Prolonged and abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep

Definition (Chris):
(I) can’t fucking sleep!
(N)o one else in the entire world is up right now.
(S)anity is questionable at this time of day.
(O)ther people can sleep; I hate them!
(M)ike’s asleep in Kentucky…Arghhhh!
(N)ineteen hours until this Hell starts again.
(I)s it too early to start drinking?
(A)mbien, Ambien, Ambien!!!

Thermo-Stupid

Who was the brainiac that invented the new thermostats?
I’d like to kick him all the way to the North Pole.
Let him get a good dose of “Friggin Freezin” in his bedroom.

Not all of us are Rocket Scientists.
Most of us can’t program our own cell phones.
Is Heat, Cool, On and Off too much to ask for our new fancy-ass programmable thermo-stupid to offer???
Did dials go out with pastels?

God forgbid you stay home on a Tuesday, it's 58 degrees inside until Oprah comes on at 4.

Program THIS Mister Honeywell!!!
I hope you have a warm and cozy evening,
I’m not!