It's so hard to make them care when they just don't, msbelle. I sympathize.

Am currently not dealing well with holidays. Drove to Tennessee to spend the weekend with my BFF and her now-16-year-old daughter who acts like she's 12. There were presents exchanged and we went to see The Hobbit 2, and a good time was had by all, but it's a long drive there and back again, and between that and the tantrum-throwing kid, I am wrung out. Now I have two journal issues to get to the printer in the next three days, and then I have to get ready for Christmas with my family. Not sure which is stressing me out more. Oh, no, wait, I'm sure - it's the family. I usually have a bunch of presents bought by now, and this year I have almost nothing. I wish I could just send everyone gift cards and cookies, and not leave my house until January 1.

I wish I could just send everyone gift cards and cookies, and not leave my house until January 1.

You could do that! (Although maybe not the not-leaving-the-house part.)

I am so worn out. I'm going to bed in a few minutes. My swim this morning was faster than usual; our down-the-road-other-Y has their pool closed this week so my usual AM crew has to deal with the Others, one of whom is the reason I stopped swimming at the other pool.

I have two more days of finals then freedom. But I also have to write a grant application for a $10,000 grant / award for my department. Sigh. Don't wanna but absolutely have to.

I wish. The not-leaving-the-house would be the easier part, if I could get out of having to partake in the festivities at all, but I cannot. At this point, I am the only other adult in the family besides my sister, and she will lose her mind if I don't go.

(Okay, my nieces and their boyfriends are technically adults, but, not really. You know? How come I have so many grown-ass people in my life who are all about 14 years old emotionally? I wonder if maybe I am too and I just don't realise it...)

So I kind of enjoyed the Ice Age movies, except for what they do to poor Scratch and his acorns. But why on earth is there a Christmas special? There was no Christmas then! I don't care how much you dress it up as just a special time for families and friends etc.! I'm a pagan, and I object to this.

And what they do to Scratch . . . Hubby said, "No, he gets the acorn in the end." "No, sweetheart, he never does." "Well, it's a Christmas show, he'll get it this time." Half an hour later: "Huh. No, he didn't. You're right." "See?" I despise the humor of cruelty.

I love spending time with my brother and SIL and the nephews. And my parents. But I really do wish I could spread out the holidays a bit. And sometimes, I just want to stay home and do my stuff.

And this one is no matter what, going to be all kinds of nuts:closing date is a moving target NEXT WEEK. The rental house now has only one working bathroom and the basement bedroom is unusable and the landlord is AWOL, has been for a while. They want me on the couch/D's bed (I think this is just so we can all get irresponsibly drunk together) and almost all their stuff is packed up. I think at this point, we've crossed over the line from disaster to hilarity. It's going to be the best worst xmas ever. All others might be compared to this, which is saying something since 11 years ago, my SIL went into labor on the 23rd and gave birth the 24th and there was sleep-dep-x-mas-eve-target-shopping-with-parents-and-tears-and-fighting-about-tape for carseats and pack'n'plays and diapers.

We apparently aim high?

Oy, sarameg, better you than me I think.

Wow. Reduced holiday stress~ma for most all Buffistas.

Most of my stress is work-related and of the "reward for a job well done is another job" variety. But I'm off from Friday through the end of the year, so the breathing room should help. I'll be heading up to my sister's on Sunday, and holiday airport madness aside, I'm looking forward to it. While I miss my parents, it's a lot easier to just spend a few hours in airports on each end then to drive from NC to MI and back, which was their preference.

I clearly got dressed in the dark/dim light this morning. Wearing the charcoal brown pants not the charcoal grey pants. With a black top and purple cardigan. Not too bad, but I didn't notice until I got to work that I grabbed the wrong pants.

My sinuses are playing at being a barometer. Uhg.