So… about those things called ‘holidays’…

My Christmas vacation felt like a bunch of fire drills. There were of course some great things, but I couldn’t really get over the mental imagery of chimps flinging their poo at each other.

I drove home on the 20th and got home in pretty good time. I was expecting some pretty horrible traffic but didn’t see any really. I had a fairly relaxed afternoon, but the evening got interesting. Theresa mentioned in passing to my mom that we were likely going to my dad’s brother’s for a late dinner Christmas Day which set off a very emotional and depressing sacrificial lamb sequence by my mother. I love my mother dearly… but the wine has a great many effects on her. Sunday was my birthday. It was a little mundane, but pleasant. Sometime during the morning, my dad called to ask me what I was doing for dinner. My mom had asked me to dinner about two and a half weeks before and I told him that. With a very morose tone, he told me that he wanted to take me out to dinner, but “I guess not” (he also proceeded to be angry with me about it for a while… which I don’t understand). Monday and Tuesday were significantly less problematic as I worked both days from my mom’s.

Tuesday night was quite special, if not for Theresa’s attempts at torpedoing my plans. I cut out of work an hour early so I could make some preparations and I took Theresa out to Stan Hywet to see the lights, house, and greenhouse. I wanted to take her out to dinner first, but she insisted that we eat at the stable cafe on the property. When we got there, I got her to skip the cafe until later and we went to the greenhouse. We then took a walk through the outdoor lights in the vineyard and off to the side of the vineyard there was a couple tea pavilions which I walked her over to (there was a very nice miniature town with stars lit up in the trees below them). Sorry to gloss over the details here, but this is where I proposed to Theresa! (and successfully surprised her – which I though would have been impossible). To make a not so long story a little shorter: we toured the house (which is pretty amazing) and I convinced Theresa to let me take her to dinner.

Theresa and I spent Wednesday at her parents which was a very nice day and spent Christmas Eve at my mom’s. Christmas Day was a bit busy… and at the same time, not so much. We opened gifts in the morning and had breakfast, but then I really did nothing while everyone else was running in circles until dinner… which is where life gets fun again. Dinner was supposed to be at 4, so I told my dad and his family my brother, his girlfriend, Theresa and I would be in East Akron at 6. Dinner was an hour late so we didn’t get to leave until 5:30… My aunts and uncles didn’t say a word… but my dad had to get sour that we were a few minutes late. I don’t really remember what happened Friday. I’m sure I did something… I know I was alive… but that’s about it.

Saturday morning, Theresa and I drove down to Columbus to visit with my Sister and dad for a few days. Mike was leaving for his girlfriend’s in PA Sunday morning, so I went to visit him and his family for a few hours Saturday. Saturday night my family and I all went out to dinner and had a nice evening… except for where my dad said that he had a “stipulation” for Theresa’s and my wedding and if we didn’t meet it he wouldn’t be coming… OH BOY! Sunday, Theresa and I visited Grace and the Martin’s then met a friend of Theresa’s at Polaris… then spent the afternoon asking my dad to not leave, which he subsequently ignored. Theresa and I stuck around Monday so I could spend some time with Keith. We saw “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, which is a bit long but very good (in my opinion).

I’m not sure what I did the Tuesday after, other than driving home. Seems to me I did something relatively important… but its just not coming to me… Wednesday Tim and I wend shooting somewhere down in the Falls. I have to say, the AK47 is a lot of fun to shoot. It will be a while until I get a rifle myself, but I’m definitely looking into a pistol, sooner than later. Theresa and I made every effort to actually stay awake until Midnight… which we actually did without much trouble… I feel old for having to say that. Thursday and Friday were a lot of family stuff. Thursday, Theresa’s parents and an in house Mass and my mom cooked dinner; Friday we spent with Theresa’s parents. Saturday was unique… as it was my father’s birthday (and my adopted father’s birthday). That wouldn’t normally have been an “issue”, except that my dad ignored my calls and voice mails for 4 days… It turns out I didn’t attempt to see him enough… My punishment, beyond his ignoring my calls, he wasn’t home like he said he would be and made me wait two hours to see him… then we got pizza… The next morning to drove home… happy to be leaving idiocy behind but wishing Theresa was with me.