Yumumy cramps (ok, leaving that typo in) = mint or ginger tea.

Anxiety about smoking too many cigs = You've been doing really well. It's a holiday. HBIC sez relaxovate; set a limit today, don't carry a pack with your anywhere (if you have a pack), just maybe 3 or 4. And tell you anxiety to fuck off; you'll get back on track.

I had a GREAT Thanksgiving! My parents and sister were here from about 10 to 1:30 (folks are older and don't like to drive, they live about 1 hour 15 mins away, and my sister drives, and she had to work from 3 pm to midnight) so I wish I'd had more time to spend with them.

But I made the best ham so far this year!!! I've made about 6 so far, and this year's was the best! We have a fridge of delicious leftover, my fam is finally getting to know D and he taught my mom how to get over her fear of the Wii -- she got on from my sister for her bday in October, but it confused her how to get it going - and I taught her how to navigate Netflix on the Wii.

AND they loaned us the $600 we needed desperately to buy plane tix to take M back to PA at the end of Xmas. Which about made me cry -- it's a LOAN, of course; we'll be paying them back every month -- but we didn't have enough money to buy 2 ticks to ABE and 1 back.

I saw D's shoulders lift about 3 inches when they gave us a check. (It was NOT his idea -- it was mine.) Poor noodle.

We talk to M and he's really excited about the Xmanakkah visit! And New Year's Eve -- since we've been married, we host NYE, and kids his age (there's about 3 in his age group) come over -- my friends with two kids stay with us -- and they have a crazy kid party upstairs, watching TV on the Wii, playing games, crashing out on the futon and floor in M's room, and the adults party downstairs. We provide plenty of junky kid food up here, and a parent wanders up every so often, hangs out for a bit, then another parent takes a kid-check break. Kids come down for midnight, and are forbidden the kitchen (where the booze is) and the smoking back porch. They can play Wii downstairs till 9 pm, but after 9 they arebanished upstairs, and can only come downstairs to get snacks from snack table, and to shout Happy New Year.

It works amazingly well.

Erin, I'm so glad y'all got the loan you need to have the holidays you want. Wonderful. Really going to have to make it out there for New Year's some time! That sounds like so much fun.

I couldn't make tea b/c roomie was asleep. And the anxiety thing - when I smoke cigarettes too late at night, I tend to wake up with a pounding heart and not be able to get back to sleep. So, not me beating myself up (which of course happens), but actual physical symptoms of high anxiety.

Speaking of regular anxiety, though... I need to pack. I think I'll start in the front room and work back, maybe? Or start in the kitchen and work forward. But first I think I want to walk over to the new place, make sure it's cleanish, and formulate a plan.

Yep, it's the holiday season. There's drama going on with my family that is making me feel depressed. Yay.

Jilli, if you're around, insent.

Askye, I hope that Maddie starts putting the weight back on.

{{{ND}}} Sorry about the family drama. Much holiday~ma to you.

We're having a nice holiday weekend. We saw all of the stressful people yesterday, and today consisted of shopping, resting, and yummy leftovers! And hopefully there will be Muppets tonight.

We are home from visiting my family. It was a great Thanksgiving and no drama--although the day before I got there, my cousin's 15-year-old came home from a party drunk, decided to take his dad's convertible for a spin at 2am, totaled it and could have died. His explanation was that he was practicing for when he got his license in two months. Not only did he get a DUI and now cannot get a license until he is 18, he got 21 stitches in his head and is grounded forever, basically.

So the lead-up to the holiday was full of drama, but the holiday itself was lovely and relaxed.

Oh, dear lord Scrappy. I am so glad that things didn't end up any worse than they did. His poor parents...

Oh, Scrappy how awful. I'm glad to hear he wasn't hurt worse.

Thanks, y'all. His dad (like a good chunk of my family) is a recovered alcoholic, so I know his parents are very worried about the drinking part of the equation.

Yikes, Scrappy. The teenage logic that is not our earth logic. Glad it wasn't more serious, hope it was serious enough to get his attention.

Y'all! I moved a bunch of stuff!! One of my dog park friends helped, and she has a Honda Fit so we were able to move a good amount of my furniture, a bunch of boxes, and some clothes in two loads (of my car and hers). Of course, now I need to pack more. Feh. Don't wanna! Wanna go be social! Feh.

Bartleby and I went for a long walk with morning. He tugged the lead out of my hand and went hell for leather after a squirrel and then raced back to me. It brought joy to my heart, but a few hours later, he began bleeding from a place he should not bleed from...again.

I nearly died. Seriously. I can deal with whatever, but I just don't WANT to deal with any more scary health stuff.

A call to the emergency nurse garnered the expected 'wait and see.' Ugh.

I'm thanking good sense that I hired a sitter to watch him while I went out to do a doggy lama appointment. If there wasn't a human who could call me if he sprung another leak, I could not have functioned.

Please pup, no more!