-t, snow angels! IJS.

It looks like it's raining, now, so they'd be more of slush/mud angels. But we got to walk through some snow while it lasted, and then had some hot chocolate, so I'm satisfied.

Hi DX niece! Noise brings new babies joy, indeed!

HAPPY CHRISMUKKAH!!!

We are happily ensconced in Philly, and in fact only remembered this evening that the computer was here.

Thursday, after taking multiple attempts to get a set of keys that worked and getting those to the sitter (see LJ for ordeal), we got our frantically stressed-out asses to the airport, heard that all flights to Philadelphia were delayed, took off, landed without incident, and then sat on the runway for 3 hours waiting to get into a gate. It was, errrrm, fun. (I blame Columbus.)

The folks warned us about the crazy lady next door. They always warn of the crazy lady next door, but until this visit I've never believed she really existed. Until 5 or so am, when the crazy lady next door was suddenly out in the alley between houses banging on her shatterproof windows with a stick and screaming AAAAAAAAHHHH THEY'RE COMING TO KILL ME! occasionally interspersed with CALL THE POLICE!!! and on one occasion IF NOBODY CALLS THE POLICE I'M TAKING MY CLOTHES OFF!!!!! The police were called.

Friday, we slept until noon (see above) and then commenced to jigglin'. World's Cutest Nephew (tm) has become a gambling addict, and has beaten us all at poker numerous times. The one exception is Stephen, who takes the boy for all he's worth. WCN also talked us into opening a great many presents, most of them his. Dad grumbled about how we should really wait until Christmas day, and sis pointed out that we've been having this fight for 20 years, and opening more on Xmas eve every year. Consumables: champers, scotch (Plei, do you know of Ladoig? Nummy.) many cheeses, leg of lamb, tasty veg, rice, salad, wine, Bûche de Noel.

(Dad has just come into the room to remind me that I did not make the promised apple pie yesterday, and he guesses I'm not getting to it today. "You're too young to have memory lapses," he says. I point out that it's not so much lapsing as ignoring.)

Today was early-morning Monopoly and the remaining loot. Sis and her BF took off back to NY, leaving the little money-grubbing heathen with us.

S. pulled me aside to say that he likes the folks. The folks pulled me aside to say that they like S., and also that they hoped it wasn't too chaotic a christmas for him. As his people don't have electricity this holiday (Columbus. See? I knew those midwesterners were trouble.) I figure they really can't be any better off than we are, plus we have Homicide DVDs and a radio-controlled Porsche (belonging, natch, to Emmett's great rival). And possibly another bottle of wine.

Ahhh, Christmas in New Orleans sounds fab.

Emmett is drinking one of his select soda treats: Cherry Lime Rickey Whoopee. I just roused him from a nap since he was up at 6:00 poking his Mom in the side and asking, "Is it 7:30 yet?" He was very very happy with his presents, particularly the sodas, the baseball gear, the many computer games (including The Incredibles) and enough crap to fill a Jersey dump. We did watch The Marx Brothers this morning which was a nice anarchic antidote to holiday fare.

JZ is frantically slapping together a spanikopita. The only reason she's eating anything at all right now is because I'm periodically hopping up and shoving a piece of reheated (though still tasty) pizza in her mouth while she does the greek food thing. She was very surprised that I got her a fancy pair of ice skates for Christmas, and she got all weepy.

I am achey from sleeping on an air mattress last night and have attempted to mollify it with Motrin and a hot shower. I think I will take a large vodka tonic in a tiki mug as we head over to JZ's mom's house for xmas dinner there.

We got one of Sail's pretty cards, and a last minute sock monkey from Laura yesterday. Very festive. Tomorrow? Dinner with Emmett's godparents (and our close friends) - that'll be fun and low key though.

Hee, xposty with Amych! Happy Chrismakkuh! All your fretting about pet-sitting was not for naught! It really was a disaster in the making. So glad Stephen and the folks hit it off.

I'm all alone in my apartment cleaning furiously with my new Sarah McLachlan concert dvd on, and haveing an odd moment of simple happiness. Won't ponder too long lest it goes away. The dvd'll end soon enough anyway, but 'tis good.

Penguins escape huge earthquake

Not quite as interesting as the headline might make one believe. I mean, the penguins didn't detect the earthquake before it happened and escape in some sort of penguin ark....

I mean, the penguins didn't detect the earthquake before it happened and escape in some sort of penguin ark....

Well, they cleverly avoided building a large city that would crumble around them. That takes foresight.

That headline reads like someone had just gotten a good christmas bonus and was giddy.

USAIR really, really screws up the Christmas luggage. [link]

t staggers into thread, weak with laughter

Okay, I now have conclusive proof that Dave and I are 1) lame and 2) geeky.

So we each got each other an iPod for Christmas. I got him what I really wanted--a full-on 40GB iPod good for 10000 songs so he wouldn't never have to worry about sorting through the music he wanted to listen to, etc.

He got me an iPod mini, because he really liked how little and sleek they are, plus he already rates all of his albums song by song, loved the idea of only taking the 400-500 songs he actually listens to, and assumed I'd feel the same.

We both pretended that we really liked our own gift while greedily eyeing each other's.

Finally, I admitted, "I'd kinda like a bigger one."

"Huh," he replied. "I really wanted the mini."

We stared at each other a second. We looked again at the free inscriptions we'd both done for each other on the back of each iPod ("if music be the food of love, play on" on mine; "music in the bedroom, laughter in the hall" on his). It isn't a coincidence that Mac offers free engraving but doesn't allow returns on anything once engraved.

"Do you want to--"

"--Oh thank God, yes."

We traded.

Ah, geeks at Christmas.