Family Christmas

I have a wonderful family. However, today when I woke up, I wasn't thinking about my family. I was thinking about what seems to be my left kidney, ballooning in painful ways. This happened also on Wednesday, but as today is Saturday, I thought it would be over. It is not over. It might be a variety of different illnesses, both related to my kidney and otherwise. For instance, there is a lot of stuff in your abdomen. Like your colon, and appendix, and some muscles. It could be any of these things. I am avoiding the dreaded WebM.D., however, because instead of assuaging my hypochondria by telling me what is wrong, it fuels it by telling me the worst kind of everything that could possibly be wrong. Headache? Fatigue? Kidney pain? Probably cancer.

Then, after working to pick up the house while Aaron went out to buy spinach dip at Trader Joe's (thanks), I thought about my family. I thought about my newly engaged cousin, and her sister who says we'll have a bachelorette party in Vegas. Excellent. And my aunt and uncle, who are great. And my parents and sister, who are also great. Then they all came over and ate spinach dip with bread that I made and the last of the spiced nuts that I also made.

And we had a great Christmas, and had great talks. Talked for too long about race with my mother, who really likes to talk about race-related issues. Which gets old when all you can think about is your maybe-kidney ailments. And laughed a lot at my aunt, who, with the help of more than a few gin and tonics, felt it necessary to channel Aunt Doris by saying all sorts of wildly inappropriate things.

Good food, and good family. And a simply wonderful roommate (also part of the family), who may be the only person except for Alex that reads my blog. Which isn't much of a blog. And speaking of Alex, I got to see her and Brittany and Lauren and boyfriends tonight, playing Apples to Apples and watching sketch comedy.

It's just great. And in stressful times, I like to remember that it's great to be here and that I am so, so lucky to be where I am, and to know who I know.

Plus, I have an electric blanket. I want to talk about that for a moment. The electric blanket is the thing I have been missing all my life. It turns your bed into a small oven or sauna. Before the electric blanket, I used to try and make this oven myself, pulling the covers into a small shroud around me and attempting to warm it with body heat that was quickly stolen by the cold cold freezing horribly cold sheets. But now, thanks to the power of electriciy (while perhaps giving a kind of rude "screw you" to global warming, for plugging in a blanket...) I can be super warm and comfortable the moment I get into bed instead of having to kick franticly around under the covers to generate heat. I LOVE IT. Best invention ever.

Working

I drove home from Charlevoix tonight after two donor visits, and it was winter-weather-advisory snowy on US-23. Not slippery, which was good, but the billions of snowflakes significantly impaired my vision. Everything was brighter, because of all that glittery surface area. Everything was illuminated.

Last week I was in Chicago, this week was up north (the first time I've driven there and back in a day...) and I'm just so tired. Hopefully it will slow down after Christmas, but I know it actually won't. Wishful thinking. Talking with donors is fun, but I feel like no one wants to give. I'm talking to the wrong people. Where are the magical donors who will track you down and follow you to the ends of the earth to hand you check after personal check of million dollar gifts??? I guess I don't have that list.

Just tired. A sandwich for dinner on the road. Beautiful snowfall outside that I am too tired to go see. Maybe my Christmas miracle will be a couple minutes of watching snow from somewhere, preferably not on the highway.

I do love UM though for their season days - a big hell yes for working at a University.

Monday Night

Ikea, chocolate covered espresso beans, and a cooking show. Unfinished beaded jewelery. Are you the greatest singer of our generation, or the greatest singer of all time? Not only did they skip a step with the wire on my braces, I now have spacers and a tightened bite plane; my mouth hurts. Newly discovered cooking blogs. Wishing that this woman I met with today would live in Michigan for the winter instead of in Florida so I could close a great big gift.

Making Cream of Wheat for breakfast. Going grocery shopping. Chicago next week and I can't believe it is December - only three weeks until Christmas! Which means presents for everyone, stockings, snow, and family. And Christmas shopping, which I haven't done.

New winter work shoes. New windshield wiper blade. New winter coat. Making returns to Target.

"I could have written a story / out of "I love you"."

Framing artwork for my office, printing out fantastic pictures from Australia and Prague. Setting up shop. Peacock earrings. Fashion wraps. Photos of family. Back a little ways, to chopping down our first Christmas tree. Forward, to putting ornaments on it, hopefully this week. Game night with good friends this weekend, a night in instead of nights out. Wishing I had leftover turkey; thinking I couldn't eat it anyway because my teeth hurt.

"Ghostbusters!"
"That's my girl. You know who to call."

Here are the things on my mind.