It's The Day AFTER Christmas

I cannot see the living room floor, though I'm quite sure it's somewhere under all the empty boxes, Styrofoam inserts, plastic shrink wrap, and toy after toy after toy spread about the room.

KC's decided on a free for all this morning. She's free to make a grand and glorious mess, and I'm free to pick it up right behind her. Except I'm on hiatus having just loaded the dishwasher, cleaned the kitchen counters, and picked up a scattering of plastic bags the cats decided to strew about the house in the middle of the night.

I'm also planning on taking the tree down and out today. I know this sounds horribly grinchy of me, but it must be done. Octavia refuses to stay out the tree, I'm tired of picking up ornaments off the floor, and having both stepped on some incredible sharp pine needles, KC and I have come to the conclusion that either it goes or we goes.

Perhaps if I appear helpless - notice I'm not being rude and saying blonde - later when I drag the tree out of the house, I'll draw the attention of my one and only cute single neighbor, enticing him out of his place long enough to bat my eyelashes a few times and garner a proposal. Not in the way of marriage mind you, but dinner would be nice.

KC would be embarrassed if she could hear me. The last time I made some purring noise from the back of my throat as I stood freezing my tail off in the driveway talking to BND - Boy Next Door - she was in her words, wanting to throw up. I told her she'd understand the whole boy/girl thing someday - warning at the same time that someday better be when she's moved out of my house and on the verge of graduating from college. KC only response was to scrunch up her face, while clutching her stomach as she made fake hacking up a hair-ball noises.

Oh lord, I really need to get in the shower and face the day and I need to stop back down to Dad's and see how he's feeling. The poor guy was sicker than a dog last night and didn't get to enjoy the festivities much at all. And to know my Dad is to know that his favorite holiday - bar none - is Christmas. I can never quite figure out who enjoys Christmas more, Dad or all the grandchildren. My money's on Dad ...

My sister Audrey also flies out today for her home in Baltimore ... And I really should see her off before she goes and offer her some sort of sisterly advice even though there's nothing that immediately comes to mind. Except maybe get a better apartment, one with a kitchenette and indoor plumbing.

I'm also going to have to run to my stepfather's today and do the whole Christmas visit/gift exchange thing. This is one of those things that I know I have to do but dread doing all the same. One would think this would get easier every year, but it doesn't. I've got an endless well of love for the man, but sometimes I have an incredibly hard time of showing it. And now there is this wall that seems to separate us from having a real conversation besides one based on the weather and the polite how is everything going in your world, where the answers are the ones they want to hear, rather than the real ones you'd like to give.

Ah well ... Life is meant to be challenging, is it not?

As far as presents go, KC and I were completely spoiled once again this year. My Mother and Ken sent me some lovely pottery in my favorite milk chocolate colors, and two gorgeous hand carved angels that will surely be a welcome addition to my collection. I'd list some of KC's things but there are far too many to tell, and every one of them seems to be her favorite, so to do it justice I'd have to write a list twice as long as Santa's ...

Dad surprised me with a beautiful mosquito netting for my four poster bed, that I thought went completely over his head when I mentioned it in passing. And a total shocker of a new TV - what size it is I'm not sure though the box is very big and heavy, and I'm pretty sure it's a 24" or better - because I had also mentioned that the TV downstairs was on the brink of going kaput ... I really didn't expect much of anything this year, so I've certainly no complaints.

On top of all that, my sister Jodi gifted me with a Barnes and Noble gift card and managed to talk Dad into doing the same as well as renewing my B&N membership. With $75.00 to spend all on books, I've got to wait for a day when I can go alone and lose myself in the shelves for a while. It's like a dream come true ...

Long story short, Christmas went off without a hitch - with maybe one or two small hiccups, but nothing that rocked the house from its foundation. Leaving me with only one more thing to do, which is get in the gosh darn shower and motivate. I've got two hungry little cats, and one can of wet food left in the cupboard. And I don't know about you, but when the natives are restless and hungry, they have a habit of destroying everything in their paths.

So I'm out ... Hope all of you out there are catching on your sleep, enjoying your families or lack there of, and having an all around sort of good day.

Until sooner rather than later ...