No blizzard for us

Christmas and New Year's have come and gone and my least favorite month is going by quickly. Over the weekend, much of the east coast got a mega blizzard and we didn't get jack. Temperature wise, it's definitely winter but we hardly have any snow on the ground. Although, we got enough last Saturday to have a blast snow tubing at Arrowhead. Danielle called me randomly to see what I was doing because they were planning last minute to head to Ctown. Good thing my plans were flexible; Dayna and I were planning on hanging out to celebrate a new job prospect of hers but she agreed to snow tubing then New Socials after (it ended up being closed). I hadn't seen them since early July of last year, the longest we've ever gone. Crazy and sad. We had a lot of fun, the temperature was perfect and the type of snow allowed us to go really fast...to the point where the employees were concerned about the speed. After a couple runs, we were told no more than two at a time and to drag our feet. We got some good pictures and sweet videos.

I got my Christmas wish; to not have to work at all despite being on call for 24 hours. I thought for sure I'd have to work because Xmas eve was crazy (the STEMI pager went off 4 times) and my 10 hour day turned into a 12 hour one. Dayna and I were supposed to get Christmas eve chinese food and watch Christmas Vacation but that didn't happen. I got up earlier than normal Xmas morning due to anxiety, did my thing, and eventually I got ready to head out of town. I ended up arriving at my Merm's and was able to stay until 10, at which that point I was able to drive home at a safe speed. It was just like any other holiday, hanging out, eating, drinking (minus the booze for me), and visiting. Granny and Cora were there. We had munchies, did the tree, ate a delicious roast beast dinner, and enjoyed cheesecake for dessert. I think the secret Santa thing worked well this year. I framed a picture of the diner I found online for my Merm.

I went to the Minckler house on the 26th to do Xmas with them. I hadn't been to their house in a long time. We had pizza, played games (battleship, pie face, etc) and watched Christmas Vacation. It was nice to spend time with them but I'm trying to figure out if there is some baseline uneasiness because we've drifted apart. They're a busy family and Emilee's been dealing with her mom's cancer and associated stubbornness. Maddy really wants to hang out more; in the meantime, I'm more connected to her because she can text, snapchat, and Facetime on her new itouch. We did catch up like old times, but it's hard to go out of my way because she's (Emilee) proven more than once that actions speak louder than words. I got the kids gift cards and I went home with pictures and homemade treats. I did Xmas with the Goss family on the 27th. I got the girls a barn for their new horses and Charlie a cool sand play kit from Brookstone. Their house was overwhelmed with all the gifts they got (mostly from Adam's parents) so we hung out amongst the piles until the kids went to bed. At that point, business as usual.

The idea of staying home NYE is so appealing but I've only managed to do it once. This year, it's totally happening. I don't give a crap about New Year's. It's just another night...although there's more of a reason to stay home. I was tired and cranky; not in the mood to deal with people (drunk or sober), crowded locations, or lame social situations. Also, who wants to risk getting pulled over?! Dayna really wanted to go out, so I did, reluctantly. We had dinner at Jesses (crowded) then went to a house party she was invited to by one of her coworkers. It was totally lame and I wanted to go home as soon as I got there. All I did, between forced conversation, was look around the room and judge people. I am going to hell. Got back to my house in time for the ball drop and to crack open a bottle of champagne that had gone bad a long time ago. Bedtime.

Instead of exchanging gifts this year (last year, now) for Christmas, Ashley and I decided to have dinner and spend a night at the Common Man. That was this past Friday night. Luckily, I got out of work on time and was at their house by 745ish. We started the evening off in the basement with a viewing of a tape she recently found that contains Beyond The River's Edge. Ermergerd, movies from back in the day are the best. After checking in and enjoying a cocktail, we went to dinner and towards the end, a stray cat that had been spotted in the restaurant since Monday came out of it's hiding spot under the stairwell. We tried unsuccessfully to catch it, it was a terrified bullet, the last spot we saw it was behind the ice machine. Poor thing. I felt so sad and couldn't stop thinking about it. How did it get in, what was it eating and drinking, what was going to happen to it? We continued our night, drinking, laughing, talking, eating our dessert, exploring the hotel, and running outside in the snow in our bare feet (couldn't do that around Xmas because there was no snow. We went to bed around 2 and woke up around 9 to the sound of the same kitty meowing. They had caught it in a cage and were walking with it to the lobby from the restaurant. So close to our room. Seems like fate. She seemed a little more relaxed, domestic and friendly (Lost My Way Animal Shelter posted on Facebook, confirming she was female). It was hard to check out leaving her behind not knowing what was going to happen. I was so preoccupied, I left my leftovers in the mini fridge :( I do, however, feel so much better knowing she's being cared for in a shelter. This is the closest I've been to adopting a sibling for Xander. If it's meant to be, it'll happen.

Speaking of Xander, I had to take him to the vet for ear problems today (in a no pets allowed rental car). His left ear's been flopped down and he's been itching it and shaking his head. His ears were swabbed, they did find bacteria so they sent me home with ointment. If there's any hope of getting to the bottom of all his issues, I need to take him on a road trip down to MA for an MRI. My sweet baby bear. Horner's Syndrome? Deafness? Years of coughing, sneezing, and snot rockets. Could this be an immense waste of money or could this be the key to all his problems? There's only one way to find out.

I finally lived a high school fantasy Sunday, January 10 at Jewel nightclub in Manchester. Orgy. The band. Concert heaven. Jeff came with me. We stopped at the OG in Concord on the way down and arrived while the first of 3 opening bands were playing. Not bad, but get on with it. Jay Gordon (lead singer) is the only remaining original member. Considering my crush back in the day, he's all I need lol. Don't get me wrong, seeing all 5 original members would have been amazing. They put on a great show and it sounded awesome at that small venue. I freaked out and pulled out my phone to take a video when they started playing Blue Monday (life complete). I didn't notice that Jay Gordon had gotten off the stage and was in the crowd....SO....CLOSE. Jeff got my attention and I screamed. I danced next to him and had both my hands on him at one point as he was singing a song I was obsessed with. Hands down, best concert moment ever. That is all.

I haven't worked out in a week...down to the basement I go.