Auburn Gal Always

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Except for the stress

and exhaustion

and endless gift-wrapping

and sore throat and cold and cough

and unbelievable exhaustion - did I say that already?

Well, the Christmas party blitzkrieg began Friday night. The Mighty Hunter's company party kicked off the season. We had dinner at a local restaurant. There were 2 guys with guitars who sang and took our ridiculous requests...

"Hard days night"
"Take this job and shove it"
"Friends in low places"
Redneck woman"
anything Elvis
"You don't have to call me Darlin', darlin'"
"Whiskey river" or is it whiskey road?

We had a great time. We were a little rowdy, some of us were silly. We all laughed and had a good time telling stories on ourselves and each other.

There were no lampshade hats. No one kissed anyone they shouldn't. We're all too old-married folks.

Stinkerbell stayed with my parents while the adults partied. She whined because she wanted to go with us. She has been my shadow since birth and expects to be able to go anywhere I go. My brother's 4 kids were also at my parents' house, so that was an acceptable compromise.

I have ALL my shopping done - except for ONE gift card. Yay for me!!! Did I mention the endless gift-wrapping?

I'm tired. It's 12:13 am. I fell alseep on the couch this afternoon when I should have been wrapping gifts. The Mighty Hunter and Stinkerbell took a really nice nap in the bed. I had intended to clean house, cook and wrap gifts.

Did I mention the endless gift-wrapping?

But I made th mistake of sitting down on the couch and relaxing. Next thing I knew, I had dropped the remote control and wondered why one leg felt so strange. It had gone to sleep - duh. My neck also hurt since my head had drooped over to one side.

I woke up aware of a sore throat early this morning on one of my potty trips. No fever. I began sneezing HARD and the roof of my mouth and my ears are itchy. I'm catching a cold. Great. Do germs not care that the Christmas party blitzkrieg has begun and I simply don't have time to be sick? I mean, Stinkerbell is gonna be an angel tomorrow night. I simply cannot and will NOT miss that. I don't care if I'm puking my toenails up. I will prop myself up, hold a baggie to my mouth and supply my own Lysol spray to see her say her little 4-line poem and be the angel I know she is.

So I'm on antibiotics to fight off secondary bacterial infections. I don't have a great immune system. And the germs know it.

The Mighty Hunter just reminded me that it's late and the I'm not asleep.

I just thought I'd share.

btw... We're making progress on the name negotiations. More later!

Merry Christmas!