Quick Update

Okay, so it was the week before Christmas, and I was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay behind on my holiday shopping and preparations. I usually start shopping in August or September and have everything well in hand by the first of December, but the whole being laid off in June and starting a new job in the middle of September really threw me off this year. I now have two more days before Christmas and I still have five nieces and nephews to buy gifts for, and no time whatsoever in which to do it. Fortunately, two of them won't be in town til the 29th, so I have next week to shop for them. The other three are still babies and won't give a shit if they don't have a gift from me under the Christmas tree, so I'm just going to shop online for them, have the gifts sent to their home addresses, and give their parents a heads up on Christmas Eve. Am I the worst aunt ever?

Attended a Christmas party at my former boss's (the one who retired in June) house this past weekend. It was nice to see everyone from the old office, but I really, really suck at that sort of thing. Parties, I mean. I am very shy, socially awkward, and always feel extremely uncomfortable and out-of-place at such functions. It was a very nice party in a beautiful house with nice people, yet for me, it was torture.

This evening I had dinner at Max's house -- he'd invited Molly and me over for a holiday get-together. It was really a lot of fun and I was much more comfortable there than I was at the aforementioned party, since it was a much smaller and more casual event. Dinner was delicious, and I really like both Max and Molly. They're great people and both very funny. Max's wife and Molly's boyfriend are, as well, and Max's kids (a four-year-old boy and a one-year-old girl) are adorable. Self-conscious basketcase that I am, I'm still sort of replaying the evening in my head and wondering if I said anything stupid or inappropriate, though.

Tomorrow I'm meeting Jacquelin and Alexandria for lunch and I'm really looking forward to seeing them! Then I need to get home, wrap a mountain of gifts, do a bunch of laundry, and get ready for family get-together number one on Sunday.

I really love the holidays, but this year, they are really stressing me out. I'm looking forward to a quiet month of January.